Friday 13th Remastered
by SepticMind
Summary: It's usually a day most associate with bad luck. Of course, for some people, that's not always a bad thing... re-written from my original story that was posted roughly a year ago
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Teen Titans. That's DC's privilege.

**A/N: That's right – time for the updated version! I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but re-reading the original was too cringe worthy. I'm keeping the original up for comparison reasons. Now, let's see how much my writing's improved over the past year, shall we?**

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Raven entered the common room, book in one hand and an empty mug in the other, coming to a stop as she spotted Beast Boy in the oversized kitchenette in the form of an octopus, holding a carton of soy milk with four arms as a fifth worked to take the screw cap off the top of the carton.

"Beast Boy… what are you doing?"

The changeling didn't reply at first, waiting until he had successfully removed the lid before morphing back into his human form and turning to look at the empath. "Today's Friday 13th."

"…So?" She frowned.

"You know! Bad luck and all that?"

The frown remained on Raven's face as she made her way over, playing her book down on the kitchen counter before switching the kettle on. "And that explains you being an octopus, how?"

"I'm bring extra careful, so nothing bad happens." He answered as though it should have been obvious.

"Isn't that kind of taking it to the extreme?"

"No. I mean, I've already fallen off the top bunk of my bed, the hot water ran out during my shower this morning, Cyborg been me on a racing game-"

"-which he does anyway."

"-I went back to my room to find Silkie had eaten the controller to my old gamebox, _and_ it's my turn to clean the pots tonight! I swear the universe is out to get me!"

Raven sighed. "You're over reacting. It's just a _myth_ Beast Boy; like breaking a mirror or spilling salt. There is no proof those things actually cause bad luck."

"Yeah? Then explain everything that's happened to me so far!" The green titan challenged.

"This is pointless."

"See! You can't!"

"_Fine._ For starters, the top bunk to your bed doesn't have railings, and you're an idiot. You're not the only one to shower in a morning, and the fact that you're always the last one increases the chance that there won't be a enough hot water for you. Like I said, Cyborg _always_ beats you, and your room is a mess. No doubt there was some sort of… food residue on your controller that attracted Silkie's interest. As for the pots, it's _fixed_. It isn't your turn just because it's the 13th. It's your turn because it was Cyborg's yesterday, and you're after Cyborg on the list."

"…I still say it's bad luck."

"And I still say there is no such thing."

The changeling jumped as the klaxons suddenly sounded, one of his flailing arms knocking over the open carton of soy milk. Raven quickly snatched her book off the counter, only just saving it, before glaring at Beast Boy.

"What? I _told_ you! It's bad luck!" He shouted to be heard over the alarm.

The common room doors opened and Robin ran into the room, shortly followed by Starfire and Cyborg. Their leader quickly entered his password into the main computer, silencing the klaxons and bringing up the alert.

"It's the H.I.V.E Five at a jewellery store on Main Street."

"That's the third time this week!" Beast Boy complained. "Dude, this is seriously getting old!"

"We can take 'em." Cyborg told the changeling.

"Sure." Raven muttered, her voice heavily laced with sarcasm. "Because we obviously beat them the last two times."

Cyborg glared at the empath, not wanting to admit she had a point.

"We'll stick to the normal tactics. Raven, focus on Jinx. Beast Boy, Star, I want you two to focus on Mammoth. Cyborg, we'll deal with Gizmo. Arresting them comes second to making sure they don't manage to escape with any stolen goods. However it _would_ be nice if we actually managed to catch them this time." Robin sighed. "Beast Boy's right. This _is_ getting old."

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"These snot-munchers still aint here." Gizmo sniffed as he walked over to where his leader was stood watching the shop's front door. "I say we just take what we got an' scram."

"You said you were with me on this!" Jinx snapped.

"Yeah but… what if it don't work?"

"It _will_ work. Leave the witch to me, an' just keep the others busy. We'll only be fightin' for a few minutes, then I'll pull this joint down and BAM, we're out."

Gizmo eyed the building sceptically. "You sure we're gonna be able to topple this place? Looks kinda sturdy."

"Certain. I didn't plan it for today for no reason. It _is_ the 13th, after all."

"So?"

"Friday 13th's meant to be bad luck." Mammoth called up from the back of the room where he was busy collecting the various pieces of jewellery on display, dumping them into a bag.

"And I'm bad luck, remember? This really _won't _be the titans' lucky day."

"I still don't understand why you're botherin' with this stupid plan. I mean, what happened to easy pickin's an' all that?" Gizmo frowned.

"Because if this goes as planned, it could seriously damage the heroes reputation. We might even get a new team mate out of it. With 'er powers on our side, we'd never have to worry about messin' up a job again." Jinx shook her head. "For a 'genius' you really are stupid."

"They're here." Mammoth spoke up as he heard a car pull up outside. Zipping the bag shut, he slung it over one shoulder before moving to join his team mates.

"Just leave Raven to me, an' for god's sake keep the other four busy." Jinx ordered. "Five minutes, then we can scram."

(…)

The team wasted no time in exiting the T-Car, Robin and Starfire rushing through the store's main doors while Raven teleported inside with Cyborg and Beast Boy. The superheroes were more than surprised to find the H.I.V.E Five ready to fight, usually being able to catch the thieves off guard.

"We were wonderin' when you snot-munchers would get 'ere." Gizmo sneered.

"Why don't you guys just give up? Beast Boy whined. "You know you're only gonna get your butts kicked!"

"Not _this_ time." Jinx smiled as Mammoth laughed at the titan. With a signal from Jinx, He charged towards the changeling, quickly crossing the space between them.

"Titans Go!" Robin shouted, the team quickly springing into action.

Starfire was the first to land an attack, hitting the charging giant with several green star bolts, the force of the hits making Mammoth to veer off to the side and miss his target. Beast Boy was quick to morph into a bull, and ran at the H.I.V.E member, hitting him square on and throwing Mammoth back into one of the building's walls.

Robin threw several explosive disks ahead of him as he ran towards Gizmo, Cyborg not far behind. The small genius quickly shot down Robin's gadgets with his remote controlled laser gun, before launching several devices of his own at the two titans, forcing them to scatter.

As Jinx jumped into a flying kick aimed for the cloaked titan, she marvelled over how _easy_ it had been for her to get the set-up she needed. Even though she usually ended up fighting against the empath, more often than not the titan would have help. Today was just her lucky day.

Raven quickly sank through the floor to dodge the meta human's attack, resurfacing behind Jinx and moving to trip the girl up. Jinx quickly countered the move, having been expecting it, and jumped forward before spinning to face the empath, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

Raven's stoic mask gave nothing away as she lifted two of the jewellery counters with her telekinesis and threw them at the girl. Jinx ducked under the first with graceful ease, hitting the second with a pink hex bolt that shattered the wood, leaving the small splinters to harmlessly hit the tiled floor around her. She threw another hex, this time towards the empath, but Raven was in the air the moment the pink energy had left Jinx's fingertips, the hex harmlessly hitting the floor, ripping up some of the tiles.

Having Raven in the air was _not_ good for the meta human's plan. Using their powers, in a fight Raven had the advantage, and Jinx knew it. She needed to get in close to the titan; close enough that the empath would be hesitant to use her abilities. The two girls were evenly matched when it came to hand-to-hand combat, being of similar weights and heights, and Jinx could still use her powers without worry.

The H.I.V.E leader's eyes widened when she caught sight of Raven lifting a nearby armoured boy – probably used for protecting the more expensive items during travel – with her dark energy, quickly moving to the side as the empath threw it at the villainess.

Jinx turned her head to watch it burry itself into the wall behind her, before looking back at the titan. "Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"I was going for unconscious, but I'll take either." Raven muttered, her eyes glowing with a white light.

Deciding she couldn't afford to have Raven on the offensive, Jinx did the first thing that came to mind and ran forward, vaulting off a jewellery cabinet and grabbed on to the empath's ankle. Surprised, Raven fell from the air as she lost concentration, Jinx falling with her.

The titan had only managed to get to her knees when the meta human threw a punch at her. Raven quickly blocked it with one of her shields, before encasing her hand in that same energy and sweeping Jinx's legs out from underneath her.

The H.I.V.E leader made a small, startled sound as she hit the floor, glancing over to her two team mates to find the titans beginning to overpower them. Jinx quickly rolled to her knees and smashed her hand into the tiles near Raven's legs, releasing a bolt of hex energy with the same hand.

The ceramic broke into sharp teeth and stuck up at angles as the concrete below them shattered. Pieces of the tile cut into Jinx's hand, most burying themselves into the empath's leg.

Raven's stoic demeanour crumbled slightly as she tried to move her leg away from the worst pieces of broken tile, only managing to lodge some of the shards in deeper. Jinx glanced around to check the rest of the titans were still busy fighting her team mates before she grabbed Raven's chin with her injured hand and forced the empath to look at her.

"And to think I was hoping we wouldn't have to do this the difficult way." The meta human murmured as she traced her thumb across Raven's lower lip.

The villainess smiled slightly before she ducked her head, and roughly kissed the titan. Several glass cabinet covers exploded as Raven's muscles seized up on shock, the empath struggling to process what was happening.

Jinx pulled back, a coy smile on her face as she shoved a slip of paper into the titan's hand. She winked, throwing on arm out behind her, releasing several pink hexes that hit the ceiling.

"Call me." She smiled before scrambling to her feet and calling out for her team mates to follow as she made a dash for the front doors, the building creaking loudly around them.

"She's bringing the building down!"

Robin's voice seemed to snap Raven out of her shock and she went back to trying to dislodge the sharp pieces of tile embedded into her leg, attempting to ignore the steady flow of blood dripping down her leg.

"A little help here?" Raven called out as the first pieces of plaster began to fall from the ceiling.

Cyborg quickly ran over, helping the empath to her feet, then letting her use him for support as he started moving for the doors. "Sorry Rae, but you're gonna have to hold off on the de-splintering until we don't have a buildin' collapsing on our heads."

Reaching the street, the team moved to stand in the middle of the road, a safe distance away from the building as it slowly collapsed in on itsef in a large cloud of dust.

"Anyone see which way they went?" Beast Boy asked.

Robin shook his head, a quiet rage running through him. "No. They got away."

With on hand on Cyborg's arm for support, Raven bent down to get a better look at her leg, her face darkening. "I'm going to _kill_ her."

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**I morphed chapter one and two together here, due to how fucking short they were ¬.¬ **

**Reviews welcome :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Reviews:**

**Random Smudge: **Not sure if I can remember much of the old one of the top of my head but loving the new one ... You got the personalities all down right and I absolutely love any Rae/jinx so P... Please continue

_Ahah! Good! The original is still posted, though I'd recommend against re-reading it haha! Ah, that's good to hear, and so do I :P_

** : **Why are you so good at this? Its making everyone look bad... Sidenote, how have I not read the story before?

_Yeah… read the original and you might change your mind about that. There's a reason for why I'm re-writing it xD_

**nada129: **great work on combineing chapter 1 and 2 together it looks better when the chapters are longer so keep it up and I am really looking foreword to read more of one of my fav storys from u and even better is that it is an updated version ur doing so keep it up and I look foreword to ur next update

_Thanks. Yeah, I mean now days 3000 words is a short chapter for me; it's really painful looking at my old chapter lengths! Here's hoping you still enjoy it this time round._

**Angelic Toaster: **Awesome! It's even better this time round, so far!

_Good!_

**Meow:** Even better than before. I love them as a couple... Good work!

_Ahah thanks. And I do too xD_

**DragoLord19D: **Huh, I guess I'll have to make my copy M by morphing the two stories together then…

_Do not worry – the rating will go up to M eventually. And hopefully that M content will be a lot better written this time round! _

**Lexis26**: Please keep writing! :P

_I plan to! :P_

**TehMaskedWarrior: **Yes! This was much, Much better than chapters one and two of the original. I loved the scene in the tower, with BB and Rae! I like that Cy helper her out of the tiles instead of simply ripping her out as he did last time... Ouch. I hope that there will be more waffles in this version as well! Keep It Up.

_Good! Ahah glad you liked that . And ahah there probably will be xD_

**I'm a Lover not a Hater: **Still pretty damn good reading this again.

_Glad you're enjoying :)_

**Hollowmist: **Beast Boy turning into an octopus to prevent bad luck was hysterical! Please continue!

_Ahah! Glad you thought so. I'm not even sure where that came from!_

* * *

Raven winced slightly as Cyborg wound the bandage around her leg, making sure all the stitches and smaller cuts were covered.

"You sure you can't go into one of those healing trances or somethin'?" Cyborg asked, his voice coloured with concern.

"It isn't something I can actively control." She shook her head. "It's… an automatic reaction to possibly fatal injuries."

"How 'bout your healing energy?"

"It doesn't work on me. If it did, I'd be breaking several rules involving natural balance. You'll probably be able to remove the stitches by tomorrow night."

Cyborg sighed. "I know. Guess I'm not used to seein' you along the injured lot. Jinx must'a had somethin' to give her suck an extra kick. Now, stay here – I've got to comb through your hair for glass, but at the rate you heal, I'm gonna need some help."

He quickly tied the two ends of the bandage into a neat knot and checked it wasn't too tight, before leaving the infirmary. As soon as the doors closed behind her team mate, she opened her hand, staring at the small piece of crumpled paper that was still there, glaring at it slightly before she opened it up and tried to flatten out the worst creases.

The handwriting was spidery; rushed almost, the ink that not-quite-black blue of most free pens found in banks, and occasionally certain stores. Even the paper felt cheep, like it had been ripped off the bottom of some receipt or tag. None of this really surprised Raven, considering who had given it to her. What _did_ surprise the empath was the phone number scribbled on the slip of paper.

"A phone number?" She asked herself, as though saying it out loud would magically solve some puzzle. "What the _hell_ did she give me a phone number for?"

Saying it out loud didn't help Raven answer the question and she continued to stare at the slip of paper until she heard the doors to the infirmary open. She scrunched the paper up again as she closed her fist around it, trying not to look too guilty as Cyborg and Starfire walked into the room.

"I see your injuries have been attended to." The girl smiled at Raven. "You shall be well again in no time!"

"Just let us know if you feel anything in your scalp. With your healing time, we want to get it quick or we'll be cutting pieces of glass out of your flesh." Cyborg spoke up as he passed the Tameranean a fine toothed comb. "Star, you start from the left. We'll meet in the middle."

Raven's mood darkened impressively as the two titans began to tug and move her hair. She hated people touching her, and hated people playing with her hair even more. The only times she'd ever let anyone mess with her hair was when she and Starfire had the 'girl bonding sessions' that had become rather commonplace after the disaster with the Puppet Master.

Instead of brooding over how tempting it was to rip off her team mates fingers, she turned her mind back on to the screwed up slip of paper still hidden in her hand, trying to work out why Jinx had _kissed_ her and given her a phone number. Did she really expect her to get in touch with a villainess they'd been fighting almost from the moment the team was established? For a moment, the empath considered tracing the number. Of course, there was no guarantee it would lead them to Jinx. If anything, it was probably the number to a stolen phone. Something that could be disposed of without concern.

Or, Raven argued, it could be a trap. The most predictable move the titans could make was trace the number, and the H.I.V.E Five had an academy of students at their backs. That didn't make for an idea situation.

…But that still didn't explain why Jinx had kissed her. If she had done it to create some sort of… incentive for a titan to lead the team into some trap, surely Cyborg would have been the more ideal target? After all, the robotic man had developed a crush on the hex caster during his time undercover at H.I.V.E Academy, and she was almost certain the sharp eyed villainess had picked up on that at the time. In fact, the empath distinctly remembered a conversation were Bumble Bee teased their team mate for having asked Jinx to a Dance at the academy. So why her?

She'd hardly even spoken to Jinx, tending to keep out of the banter the rest of her team often engaged in. She was _known_ for being cold and distant, and Raven had heard a lot of the rumours Doctor Light had spread about her. She was feared by a lot of Jump City's criminals – and some of its citizens. The team's 'bad cop', so to speak. The empath had no logical explanation for why Jinx had invaded her personal space like that, and it was _infuriating_. If Raven didn't know better, she would have said the H.I.V.E leader was interested in _her_.

Raven mentally shook her head, frowning slightly as she rid herself of that thought. Once again, she wasn't the most likable or attractive member of the team as far as most people were concerned. Not even close, and she hadn't exactly given anyone a reason to think she would… swing that way, not even having considered the possibility herself. The idea of the half demon dating a guy was ridiculous enough, never mind _that_.

Her frown deepened as she tried to recall what had happened. The fact that Jinx had forced the empath to look at her was on small consequence. It wasn't the first time an opponent had done that – eye contact was often deemed a necessity for some one-liners and death threats, however the way Jinx had gently traced the shape of her lower lip…

Her cheeks flushed red as the bottle of disinfectant Cyborg had been using earlier shattered, spilling it's content over one of the stainless steel work surfaces in the room. She felt both her team mates jump, startled, before Cyborg chuckled.

"That your way of telling us we found some glass?"

Raven's blush deepened, glad she was facing away from her two friends. "No. Sorry. It was just the whole…" She tried to find some plausible excuse for her loss of control. "… I was in a bad mood to begin with. You know how much I _hate_ being touched."

"Do not despair, Raven. We have almost finished." Starfire replied.

"Just try not to destroy the more expensive stuff if it's gonna happen again." Cyborg muttered.

"Sorry." The empath repeated as she tried to will her blush to fade.

* * *

Robin and Beast Boy both looked up as the infirmary doors opened and Raven levitated into the common room, her hood up, hiding her face.

"How's your… injury." Robin finished with a frown as the empath left via the door leading towards her room. He looked at Cyborg, who had entered the room with Starfire not far behind the dark titan. "She okay?"

"I guess." Cyborg answered. "Said she needed to meditate."

"She is probably feeling the sour." Starfire added as she moved to sit next to her leader. "It is a rare occasion when she is beaten in battle."

"I _told_ her today was bad luck!" Beast Boy grinned. "But would she listen? I mean, that's blatantly why the H.I.V.E got away. Rae _always_ beats Jinx."

Robin glanced sceptically at the changeling. "I'll check on her before dinner. I know she isn't the most social of people but that seemed slightly odd, even for her."

"She'll talk when she's ready if somethin's bothering her," Cyborg said as he moved towards the over-sized kitchenette. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time her powers got temperamental for no big reason."

"What may seem like nothing to us is sometimes everything for her." Robin shook his head. "Raven's… complicated."

"Yeah, you didn't need to tell us _that_." The robotic titan replied, before looking at his green friend. "If you're planning to eat tonight BB, you're cooking for yourself."

"Like I'd let you spoil my tofu anyway. You contaminate it just by being near it." The changeling quipped as he moved to join Cyborg in the kitchen.

"Friends, may I help?" Starfire asked. "I have been trying to learn how to cook food from this planet, but my books don't seem to be half as helpful as I thought they would be."

"Sure, but only if you help _me_. Cooking with tofu aint real cooking."

"Dude! That is so not true!"

* * *

Raven's amethyst eyes opened as she gently lowered herself onto her bed, reaching for the small scrap of paper as she gave up on the idea of meditating, unable to focus her thoughts as they kept straying back to a certain meta human with cotton candy pink hair.

She kept replaying every situation or plan Jinx could have been play at almost obsessively, only to find flaws in each one, systematically disproving each theory again and again. She flipped her communicator open as she contemplated calling the number. After all, what did she have to lose? She didn't have to speak, and it would let her know if Jinx was actually using that number.

The knock on her door startled her, and she quickly moved off the bed, hiding the slip of paper under the book sat on her bedside table before she pulled her hood up and made her way over to the door, trying not to wince as her leg protested. She only let her door open a few inches – enough that she could see into the hallway outside her room, and the brightly dressed titan stood in front of her door.

"Robin?"

"Are you… okay, Raven?" He asked, a small frown on his face.

"I'm fine." She glanced down at the bandage around her lower leg. "I just need to meditate."

"But you're okay?"

"I'm going to assume you mean excluding my injuries." She replied with a small smile, before shrugging. "I'm fine."

"Well, if there is anything you need to talk about-"

"I'm _fine_." Raven insisted, her cheeks turning red at the idea of telling him what Jinx had done, making her glad she'd thought to pull her hood up. "Now can I go back to meditating?"

Robin nodded. "Someone will fetch you when dinner's ready."

"Thank you." She closed the door and turned around, studying her room. Deciding it wasn't going to do anything to improve her mood, she teleported to the roof.

_Fresh air. That's what I need._


	3. Chapter 3

**nada129: **another great chapter from you keep it up and I look foreword to your next update

_I hope this chapter keeps up to standards!_

**Guest: **And this is still awesome. Love the confused Raven.

_Ahah! It isn't often someone manages to confuse our empath_

**Knight of the Raven: **Good chapter, I like the way you write Raven's character, such as how she scared criminals and citizens alike because of rumors; well more than she most likely already did before they were spread.  
I also like your narration, I found these lines particularly interesting: "his voice coloured with concern," "glaring at it slightly before she opened it up and tried to flatten out the worst crease" and especially "as she tried to will her blush to fade."  
There are some times where nouns can be replaced with pronouns though; "After all, the robotic man had developed a crush on the hex caster" feels heavy and unnecessary when you look at the previous sentences. The paragraph is about Jinx and Cyborg has just been mentioned, a simpler "After all, he had developped a crush on her" woudl have been enough.  
Likewise, "The robotic titan replied, before looking at his green friend" could instead be "he replied before looking at his green friend;" the comma is not needed and Robin had just spoken, so "he" would instantly refer to Cyborg since the rest of the sentence shows Beast Boy wasn't the one speaking. Speaking of which, "Beast Boy" looks more natural than "his green friend."  
Mind you, this is how I feel about narration and is not gospel. Keep up the good work!

_I'm glad you like my interpretation of Raven's character! I'm also extremely glad you've taken the time to leave a few comments regarding my writing/narration style. It is something I obviously still have a long way to go with. I agree, the examples you pointed out do seem heavy, and it's something I'll try and pay attention to with future chapters. Finding that nice balance between simple and overdone isn't easy haha xD_

**TehMaskedWarrior: **Well, that was awesome! And I realized what this story is missing: Cy hasn't said Booyah at all! Hahaha Keep It Up.

_Glad you liked. Ahah! I'll see if I can fit it in somewhere!_

**Mttmercado: **ohhhh damn, stuffs be happen'n and i be curious as to whats occeren next

_Curious is good :) _

**Angelic Toaster: **Hmm, I would've thought you might have changed Robin's wording from fetch this time round, it's seems to me to be almost a bit OOC for him, but otherwise, everything's perfect! Can't wait for more!

_Really? Hmm… might be an English thing? I mean, to be honest, if I wanted to change the wording, I wouldn't really know what to use instead! _

**Dak Hamee: **Hehe I luv when Raven gets all flustered and stuff starts blowing up _ always fun

_Ahah, it is :'D_

**Random Smudge: **CAAALLLLLLL HEERRRRR! ... Sorry... As you can tell I am very eager for more jinx teasing raven... Loved this chapter even without jinx making an appearance though ... Also I want to see ravens face as her hair is being combed really bad... Visualising -.-

_God damn it Rae, what you playing at? xDAhah Jinx teasing Raven is fun to read, no? It's definitely fun to write! Glad you enjoyed, and yes, it must have been quite the picture, huh?_

**Echo of an Idiot: **Really? I have to agree with your previous reviewers. You are too damn good at this. Seriously, the first one aside from a few spelling mishaps put us all to shame and now this.  
Well, at least we get another fic out of it. That's always good anyway. Please do update soon.  
Waiting impatiently for the next chapter,  
Echo of an Idiot

_I really do find that hard to believe haha; I hate the first like, 20 chapters of the original write-up. There's a lot more wrong with it than simple misspellings! You enjoy the reading, I enjoy the writing :) Everyone wins haha. _

**Spikesagitta: **Well should be refreshing to read this again :) ...or did I? Feel familiar, guess it doesn't really matter. I will just read it as if I never read it before.

_I did post the original over a year ago – it wouldn't surprise me if people who did read it back than had mostly forgotten about it! Hope you enjoy it anyway (whether it's the first or second time of reading)_

**Stormplains: **Really good, I mean it. I've read several stories where authors struggle to tackle Raven's persona, but you're great. Can't wait for more (I'm not gonna read the original since you're redoing it anyways)  
Keep writing strong

_I'm glad you liked it! (so far, anyway haha) That's… well very nice to hear; I do try my best! _

* * *

"You _what_?" Gizmo yelled at his leader, pausing in the common room of their base as he turned to stare at Jinx. "What the _fuck_ did you hove her a number for? Are you out of your stinkin' mind?"

"How else to you expect her to get in touch, idiot?" The meta human replied. "Besides, it's just some mobile I managed to get my hands on the other day. If she hasn't called in a day or two, I can just dump the phone somewhere. No big deal."

"A day or two? It'll on take 'em an _hour_ or two to trace the number, damn it!"

"I don't think we'll have to worry about that."

"Yeah, and why the hell not?"

"You didn't see her face. She might need a bit more convincing before she'll willingly get in touch with me, but I don' think she'll be sharin' what happened with her friends any time soon."

"I didn't see any of them leave that buildin'." Mammoth spoke up as he made his way towards the fridge. "Maybe we got rid of 'em for good?"

"I did see them leave, and Raven's leg looked fairly damaged, which means they'll be less of a threat until it heals…" She turned towards the smallest member of the team. "So get looking for targets already. We've got most of a day ahead of us. Might as well pull off a few success robberies while we can."

She watched the boy walk off, muttering under his breath, and shook her head slightly before looking at Mammoth.

"Whatever target we end up goin' after, you worry 'bout getting the goods. Giz and I'll keep the titans off your back if they show up."

"You sure this is gonna work?" Mammoth frowned slightly.

"Oh, so you're on his side now?"

"I aint on any side. I'm just not sure the witch is our best target." He shrugged.

"Well, who else is? Robin's… well Robin. Cy already made it clear he'd choose his teammates over anythin' else. The green brat aint exactly my type, an Starfire's disgustingly infatuated with 'er leader. We find the chinks in Rae's armour – an' a girl like that is bound to have a few – and I can start pullin' her away from them titans." She watched the giant teenager shrug again, waving him off as she turned to leave the common room. "I'll be in my room."

The meta human walked down the long corridor that led to her room, thoughts bouncing back and forth across her mind like a tennis match as the boys comments stated to set in small doubts. Upon reaching her room, Jinx picked up the battered phone from its place on her desk and checked the screen before shaking her head slightly.

"Of course she wouldn't 'ave called already. _Duh_."

She put the phone back on her desk before she threw herself onto her bed, staring at the ceiling as she waiting for the springs in the mattress to settle down beneath her. "So what if she's the anti-social titan? Don't mean I can't make that work in my favour."

* * *

The alarm sounded throughout the tower just as the titans had settled down to eat, Beast Boy staring longingly at his plate of food as Robin and Raven stood, ready to make their way to the main computer.

"No you don't! I spent _ages_ cookin' this. They're just gonna have to wait until we've eaten. Whoever they are."

"Sorry Cyborg, but it's going to have to wait." Robin replied as he left the table.

"But I'm so hungry!" Beast Boy moaned.

"The perhaps you might have an incentive to make sure this is finished as quickly as possible." Raven muttered as she and Starfire moved to join their leader.

"Dude, why can't this day just be _over_ already?"

"Who is it?" Starfire asked as she peered over Robin's shoulder, ignoring Beast Boy.

"The H.I.V.E, again." He answered as he locked on to their co-ordinates, bringing them up on the large screen that took up most of one of the walls. "At the bank."

"_Again?_ Awh man, they are so dead. Ruining a perfectly good meal. Who do they think they are?"

Raven rolled her eye at her robotic teammate. "It's simple enough to re-heat it when we get back. It's not like this isn't the first time."

"Exactly! _Ruined._"

Robin looked around at the team's empath. "Maybe you should sit this one out . Your leg-"

"No." Raven's tone left no room for an argument, her sharp yet flat voice as intimidating as ever. Robin frowned slightly, but didn't push the point, knowing they didn't have the time.

The empath's eyes narrowed as she stared at the blinking red dot on the map of Jump City, a feeling of confusion running through her that simple fed her anger as she tried to decide what she'd rather do to the exotic-eyed meta human; question her, or beat her to a pulp?

Robin picked up that flicker of anger through the bond he'd shared with Raven ever since she'd entered his mind during the time he'd been haunted by Slade. Despite his teammate's control exterior, anger wasn't something Raven often indulged in, and it made his instantly suspicious, but he didn't say anything as he motioned for them to head for the garage. He could ask later.

* * *

"Stop messing around!" Jinx scorned her shorter teammate when she took her eyes off the doors to the bank and found him throwing around the notes that were coming out of one of the indoor cash machines Gizmo had wired up to his kit. "The titans will be here any minute!"

"You said so yourself; the witch's injured." Mammoth spoke up as he picked up one of the sacks full of gold he'd collected from one of the vaults. "They're gonna be easy."

"Just because she's injured, it doesn't mean she won't show up! We're supposed to be out'a here already."

"I got it covered. I wired the front door with an electrical field. They step through that thing, and they're gonna be crispy."

"This thing?"

"Whaa!" Gizmo spun round at the sound of Cyborg's voice, finding him stood with the rest of his team by the door, holding two small pieces of metal not all that different from watch batteries. "How did you..?"

"My sensors picked up the current. Findin' and disconnecting the thing was easy."

"No fair! I spent _weeks_ workin' on them!"

"Two robberies in one day; isn't that a little ambitious for you guys?" Robin asked.

"Oh, you have no idea." Jinx replied with a smile, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Robin as she motioned her team forward. "H.I.V.E, get 'em!"

Mammoth dropped the bags he'd been holding and charged at the group. Cyborg net the challenge and the two grappled and pushed, trying to overpower each other. Jinx, this time not interested in Raven, targeted the changeling. He was an easy target, so long as she managed to keep her distance, being that he was the only titan without a long-range attack. Noticing he'd gained someone's attention, Beast Boy looked at Jinx before he shifted into a bull and charged at the hex caster. Jinx deftly avoided him with a perfectly executed somersault. He hated gymnasts.

Robin ran at Gizmo, throwing several freeze disks ahead of him. Raven hung back, eyes flickering between the fighting pairs, carefully monitoring her friends as well as waiting for any openings she could use to aid her teammates. Her eyes lingered on Jinx and Beast Boy. She was still hoping for a chance to question the meta human, though knew that wasn't happening while Jinx had the attention of the empath's teammates.

She watched Starfire move to join Cyborg in his fight against Mammoth and decided to help her leader with Gizmo. Raven rarely fought against Gizmo, and she saw it as a needed distraction from the pink haired thief.

Raven captured one of the bags of gold Mammoth had previously been tending to, and flung it as the small boy with her dark energy. Gizmo rose up on this mechanic spider-legs in an attempt to dodge the heavy bag, Robin moving forward and freezing part of the floor underneath the villain. The bald boy let out a panicked yell as he lost his balance and crashed to the floor, his metal legs unable to find any traction on the slippy surface. Raven heard the more familiar yell of one of her teammates, and turned to find Beast Boy in human form, trying to run away from the H.I.V.E leader.

"Dude, what gives?" Beast Boy shouted at no one in particular as he ducked, only just missing the hex bolt that had been travelling towards him.

Jinx followed him calmly, a crooked smile on her lips, her head tilted slightly as she watched the changeling run. "What's the matter? Afraid of a little bad luck?"

Her control over probability had always made the meta human a somewhat formidable opponent, however the titans had never seen her call upon her hexes so quickly before – it removed the small opening that was usually there in between in attacks that the titans often used as their change to get at the hex caster.

Raven looked back at Robin, making sure he had the advantage over Gizmo before she changed her focus to Jinx, aware that she probably wouldn't get to ask her questions unless she could get her away from the changeling. Concentrating on another bag full of gold, she threw this one at the meta human. Jinx saw the object travelling towards her out of the corner of her eyes and ducked, more out of instinct than training, glancing at the empath as she straightened up. Jinx aimed a hex at the ceiling, which crumbled in, rubble raining down on Beast Boy, one particularly large piece hitting his head, knocking him unconscious.

Raven smiled slightly despite her fallen teammate, which didn't go unnoticed, an uneasy feeling settling in the bottom of Jinx's stomach, putting her on edge. Raven threw several blades of dark energy at the girl, forcing her to move back, herding the meta human into the back corner of the room, where they were less likely to be overheard. Although Raven's pride had been somewhat stung by the fact Jinx had managed to injure her, the titan's anger came from the fact that her earlier encounter with the meta human had plagued her thoughts until she found herself unable to meditate. No one but her father had ever stopped her from finding peace in her meditation, and Raven didn't like it at all. Not only was it wounding, the idea that such a simple thief could have such an effect on her, but if it became a long term problem, it would become dangerous for both her and the people around her, being that meditation was the only tool she had that helped her retain control of her powers.

Jinx tried to force the empath to back off, throwing several hex bolts in the titan's direction, but each one was deflected off one of Raven's shields almost effortlessly. The hex caster glanced around for her teammates, her stomach fluttering unhappily when she saw they were all occupied with titans of their own, still unnerved by the small smile Raven still wore. Raven _never_ smiled. Trying to shrug the feeling off she looked back at the violet haired girl.

"Ya' know, it's nice for you to single me out an' all, but you could've just called." She tried to lighten the mood, not really surprised when it didn't work.

Black tendrils appeared from under Raven's cloak and grabbed the meta human, slamming her against the wall, making sure Jinx's hands were bound by her sides so she couldn't attempt to hit the empath with her hex energy. Jinx tried to swallow past her sudden fear, shivering slightly at the cold, lifeless feeling of the tendrils wrapped around her.

"I didn't know you were into the kinky stuff, Rae." She choked out, forcing a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Reviews:**

**Dr Whitey: **I think it's wonderful that your back to your raven /jinx roots...not a fan of red x and the little tid bits you had gong were wonderful and a quick read as I was remodling my house (fun let me tell you) great work and love the use of the "kinky" made me giggle

_Oh, I will still be working on my Rae/RedX story, but naturally my Rae/Jinx ones will get more attention. Ahah glad you liked xD I know it made me smile :P_

**Dak Hamee: **She never stops cracking jokes even when she's pinned to wall by the daughter  
if a demon that gives cthulu nightmares

_No, she doesn't xD _

**nada129: **a great chapter I spotted one or two mistakes at the begining of this chapter but I still loved it

_I spotted them too. After I posted it, naturally -_-_

**TehMaskedWarrior: **Looks to me like you're doing a lot better job getting Mammoth's character bits this time around... Good job! Everyone looks in character to me!

_Yay! I think that's because I've had a lot more practice using his character. He could still use some elbow greace though. _

**Knight of the Raven: **_I replied via email, not that I really need to tell you that. Hopefully there will be less typos this chapter!_

**Mttmercado: **ohhhhh snap, KISS KISS KISS

_xD_

**Angelic Toaster:**Awesome :D

:'D

**Spikesagitta:** I'm pretty sure Raven into bondage :p Wouldn't surprise me if that's her secret kink! XD

_Ahah! But would she be the Dom or the Sub? :P I could see how she might go either way… (Damn it, get your mind back on track! I'm meant to be writing, not getting distracted by such things! xD)_

**Soulless Doll: **I know you're redoing this story, so for you I would just like to piont out that "hove" is not a word.  
""You what?" Gizmo yelled at his leader, pausing in the common room of their base as he turned to stare at Jinx. "What the fuck did you hove her a number for? Are you out of your stinkin' mind?""  
Other than that great job. I can't wait to read more of this story.

_Yeeaaah, that was a typo xD I'm terrible at proof reading my work because I have the attention span of a gold fish. It's why I have a Beta for the stories I take more seriously. It was meant to be 'give'. Glad you like, though._

**borvaintavers86: **Heh, just because it's totally cliched I have to say this. Long time reader first time reviewer. Finally stirred myself into enough of a frenzy that I'm posting a review! Got to say, I'm loving the rewrite and there is a big difference in your style from a year ago. A very good one if you ask me. I love how you portray Raven and Jinx and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this one is different from the original. Keep up the good work!  
That is all.

_So YOU'RE the lurker who ups my story view counts and then pisses off without commenting! :P Glad you finally decided to drop a review! GOOD! I think I'd be fucking worried if there wasn't a change in style (my writing is HORRIBLE from a year ago! I don't understand how people managed to read it!) Tbh I don't think I'm going to go far off from the original, I just thought it really needed re-writing now I've somewhat improved. Glad you like though :)_

**palrusty7: **I am so glad ur redoing this cant wait for the next chapter

_Ahah! So am I, tbh._

**Lykaios-Oblivion:** great chapter as always! its a big improvement from your old  
story. keep up the good work!;D

_Glad you liked it. And good! I'd be worried if it wasn't! :P_

* * *

"_I didn't know you were into the kinky stuff, Rae." She choked out, forcing a grin._

The empath ignored the jibe, focusing instead on the fear she could feel radiating off the girl. She growled, tightening her grip. "What are you planning?"

"W-what?"

"You _know_ what."

"Ooh! That!" She smiled as she figured out what the titan was referring to. "I thought you were the smart one."

Losing her tempter, Raven banged Jinx against the wall again, this time moving her up until her feet no long touched the ground. The meta human started to squirm, trying find some purchase against the wall with her feet, her eyes slightly too wide.

"Why give me the number? What is it for?"

She stopped moving, resisting the instinct to struggle as she answered. "My phone. _Duh_. Why else does someone give you their number?"

"You must think I'm royally stupid."

"I'm starting to."

"If you don't start giving me some answers, prison will be the least of your worries." Raven growled, levitating slightly so they were the same height as she approached the girl, leaning forward until her face was inches from Jinx's. "What is it for?"

"Maybe I just want you to call me."

Another tendril of dark energy wrapped itself around the meta human's pale neck, squeezing lightly. "Try again."

"I don't have another answer to gi-" The last of Jinx's sentence was cut short as Raven's grip on her neck tightened.

Her eyes flashed with a red light. "You _don't_ want to do this the hard way."

Jinx started struggling again, almost frantically. She didn't like the only noise her throat seemed to be able to made - high, keening sound - so instead focused on her attempts to kick the empath, struggling against the black vines that kept her arms pinned and useless.

_What the hell?! This is… Raven is… All over a kiss and a phone number?!_

She couldn't believe it. Friday 13th was supposed to be her lucky day, not the day a superhero choked her to death.

Her struggling didn't go unnoticed, and Robin caught sight of them, his eyes widening beneath his mask momentarily forgetting about Gizmo. "Raven, stop!"

The obsidian energy dissipated, and Jinx collapsed onto her knees, coughing as she deeply inhaled, finding it almost painful. Mammoth turned, glancing at Jinx before he charged towards Raven, ignoring the two titans he'd previously been fighting. The empath turned to face the giant, not completely in control of her actions, meeting the challenge with a energy coated fist. The punch floored him, and he skidded backwards, landing in a crumpled heap.

Mammoth quickly surged to his feet, looking ready to charge again. Beast Boy ploughed into in the form of a bull before the giant could move, driving him into a wall.

"Know what day it is?" Jinx used the wall as support as she got to her feet, flinching slightly as she regained Raven's attention, half expecting to be strangled again.

Raven frowned, the question taking her off guard, having to pause a moment to think about the answer. "Friday 13th."

She laughed slightly, moving away from the wall. "It's your unlucky day." She moved her hand towards the empath as though she were throwing something. A strong wave of pink energy left Jinx's fingertips, hitting Raven before she could react, throwing her backwards.

Her head smashed back against the floor. Her vision blurred, and for a moment she was worried she was going to pass out. She didn't, and no more than a few seconds later the room began to reform around her, accompanied with a sharp pain that started at the back of her head, spreading until it settled behind her eyes. She caught sight of Jinx moving towards her, and her mind flashed back to their earlier encounter. She was worried the pink haired girl was going to kiss her again. And was disappointed when she didn't.

Jinx stopped at the titan's feet and smiled. "Seriously though, call me." Looking up, her eyes found someone and she took two steps back. "Gizmo!"

"On it!" The small boy replied, and there were two loud bangs before thick, white smoke began to fill the building, blinding them.

Raven stumbled to her feet as she heard Robin curse from somewhere behind her. She moved to hold her head as it protested, grimacing as the pain flared up with each movement.

"Everyone regroup by the T-Car!" Robin shouted, louder than he needed to be, and the team started ambling in the direction they thought was the front of the shop.

"Dudes! That's twice in one day! Twice!" Beast Boy complained, before there was a loud crash and his yelp of pain.

Raven shaded her eyes with one hand as she made it out of the building, the light doing nothing for her head. She gingerly ran her fingers through the back of her hair, half expecting to find blood, before she moved to join Cyborg and Robin, already stood by the T-Car.

"You okay?" Cyborg asked when he caught sight of Raven nursing her head.

"I think so. Jinx's hexes are stronger than they used to be."

"Duh. The reason for that's obvious." Beast Boy said as he appeared out of the door of the jewellers, rubbing his elbow. Robin raised his brow in a silent question, so he continued. "Bad luck? Friday 13th? Jinx? She's obviously gettin' some kinda power trip."

"I doubt it." Robin frowned. "It's just a load of superstition."

"Dude, they kicked our butts twice in one day! That never happens!"

"I believe in this superstition as much as you do," Raven told her leader, "but there might be… something in what Beast Boy's saying. Something's made her stronger."

"Guy it _isn't_ superstition!" The changeling shouted, waving his arms around to grab their attention, almost punched Starfire in the face as she finally found her way out of the building. "Sorry Star." He turned his attention back onto Raven and Robin. "How much proof do you need?!"

"For bad luck to have any standing effect, it would mean things happen by chance. _Everything_ happens for a reason."

"You sound like Gordon." Robin smiled at Raven, before shrugging. "Sorry Beast Boy, but I'm going to agree with Raven on this one. Whatever's helping the Jinx, it isn't a date on a calendar."

"Come on Cy! You're with me, right?"

Cyborg muttered under his breath, clearly unhappy about being dragged into the debate. "She _is_ walkin' bad luck." He saw Raven open her mouth to reply and quickly stopped her. "Maybe it is just some myth, but I thought a lot of other things were just myths too before you showed up. Maybe we're wrong about this one too."

"About that." Robin looked at the empath, and she tried not to flinch as her mind raced to come up with excuses for the questions she knew were coming. "What happened back there?"

"Sorry. It won't happen again." She replied lamely.

"That isn't an answer."

Maybe I don't have one right now." She snapped, her rush of anger taking her by surprise. Seeing the wary expression on his face, she sighed and looked away. "I told you earlier I'm having trouble meditating."

"Why?"

"I _don't know_." She repeated. She felt bad about lying to her friends, but the answer wouldn't make sense to them unless she told them about what had happened that morning. And that was never going to happen.

"Then you have to find out." Robin pressed. "If another incident like that happens again-"

"You think I'm unaware of the dangers? Even if I _did_ know why, that wouldn't necessarily _help_." She looked back round to glare at her leader. "If you think it's that easy then please, tell me what I'm doing wrong."

She glared at him a moment longer until she was sure he wasn't going to reply, shifting into her soul self and sinking into the pavement beneath her.

"Way to go." Beast Boy muttered.

"I didn't mean that-"

"We know." Starfire spoke softly. "And Raven also know it. She is just doing the worrying."

"An' you know she's gonna be pissy until she sorts it out." Cyborg added. "Just… leave her to it. If she wants help, she'd ask."

"Yeah, but when does she ever want help?" The changeling asked.

* * *

Gizmo laughed, passing Jinx his binoculars before scooting back away from the edge of the roof they were sat on. "Looks like you don't need to date the creep to break the team apart. They seem to be doin' it fine on their own. Who'd of thought she gets into arguments with 'er leader?"

"One argument isn't enough to split the team, idiot." She replied impatiently. "Don't forget we need to split her off from all of them."

"Yeah, but he's 'er leader. He can kick her out." Mammoth spoke up.

"You think the other titans would stand by an' let him do that? We need to give 'em a reason to start distrustin' her. If they can forgive than Terra girl for takin' over Jump that time, they can ignore a few arguments."

"Well if things don' start moving into place soon, I say we forget this stupid plan and concentrate on robberies. We got hardly anythin' from this one. We need stiff to live off too, ya' know."

"We'll head out of town tomorrow. Rob somewhere out of titan territory." She told him. "But this _will_ work out."

"Whatever."

* * *

Raven resurfaced in her room, unable to shake off how angry she was feeling, not really sure whether it was aimed at her leader or Jinx.

Knowing why she couldn't meditate, if anything, was making the problem worse. She'd been taught not to linger on anything that could cause emotional imbalances, and she didn't. For the most part. But this time was different. She knew she should have handed the number over to Robin the moment they'd' gotten out of that building, but she hadn't, too embarrassed about being taken out so easily. Too embarrassed about the fact a villain had kissed her and she'd just sat there like… like a vegetable. She could have attacked Jinx quite easily. Stopped her from escaping.

And now she'd had time to assess the situation. She knew if she gave Robin the number, the first thing he'd do is trace it. She couldn't allow him to do that, not if it was what the H.I.V.E was hoping for. She'd be leading her team straight into a trap, even if it was unintentional. She could try to ignore it, but she knew she wouldn't be able to until she knew what the meta human was planning. She needed to confront her, away from her teammates.

Raven unclipped the communicator from her belt and retrieved the slip of paper from its hiding place underneath one of her books, quickly entering the number, hesitating a moment before she pressed the call button. Robin was right; if she went too long without meditating, things would only go from bad to worse. If talking to Jinx would give her some peace of mind, so be it.

It didn't take long before the call was answered.

"Raven! You called!"

She winced slightly at the sound of the thief's voice and debated on hanging up. At least she knew whatever phone Jinx was using was for this purpose only.

"Yeah. I called." She replied after a moment of silence, her eyes staring at the door to her room, convinced Robin would barge in at any moment.

"You could at least try to sound more enthusiastic." She could picture Jinx shrugging. "Whatever. S'not like I was expecting you to sound over happy or somethin'. So, wanna go out on a date with me?"

"No." She answered quickly, though her confusion was back, unable to see what Jinx thought she could gain from it. "But… I'm willing to meet up with you."

"So you can grill me with questions? Maybe strangle me some more?"

Raven knew she was being laughed at, and she started to wonder if that was one plan down the drain.

"Okay. But only if you promise to lay off on beatin' me up. How 'bout we save that for the crime scenes?"

"_Okay_?" Raven repeated with disbelief.

"What? You think I'd go through the trouble of givin' you my number, just to turn you down because you want to make sure I'm aware that it _technically_ isn't goin' to be a date? So, when and where?"

Raven didn't answer straight away, her stomach twisting into knots as she realised what a bad idea it was. "You decide."

"Well… since this _technically_ isn't a date, I don' need to give you time to find somethin' nice to wear. So how 'bout tonight? Central Park at ten? It'll be quiet, so you don' need to worry about people noticing that you're hangin' out with one of the bad guys."

"Don't think this means I trust you. The slightest hint of a trap, and I won't hesitate to take you out."

"Ditto. I see even a hair from one of your titan friends, and you'll be sorry."

Happy with their mutual agreement, Raven hung up and tucked the slip of paper back out of sight before she moved over to her wardrobe. She didn't even know what civi clothes she had, she wore them that little.

She heard someone knock on her door, but ignored it, expecting Robin, so was mildly surprised when she heard Cyborg's voice.

"Rae! You want your dinner reheatin'?" He knocked again, louder this time. "Raven?"

She hesitated before moving over to the door, opening it a few inches.

Her teammate offered her a smile. "Want me to stick it in the microwave for you? Might be safer, what with your amazing cooking skills an' all."

She shook her head slightly, amused. "I do know how to use a microwave, thanks."

"Is that a no?"

"I'm not hungry." She shrugged.

"You okay?" Cyborg frowned slightly.

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"Well it'll be in the fridge if you change your mind."

She forced a small smile before she took a step back, letting the door slide shut.

* * *

**Apologies for any typos. I lost quite a lot of blood this morning (at 02:30, to be precise. Waking up hours before dawn because you're bleeding everywhere isn't fun) it's hard to focus when your head feels fuzzy, and the only reason I've written this chapter today is because I can't do much other than stay sat down, and that gets boring real quickly. Oh well. Least it's given me writing time, no?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**** (just a general warning I'm posting on all my current updates) I've got four weeks before I move out and leave my parents behind while I settle down for a year or two in Australia, so updates may be slow for a while (let's say for about two months?) I haven't abandoned any of my stories; I'm just spending a lot of time packing and saying goodbye to friends and family. We'll be back on track soon though, hopefully :) **

* * *

**Reviews****:**

**Lykaios-Oblivion**: Aww Im sorry for your blood loss. Hope ya feel better soon. I love this story. Its different than all the other RaeXJinx fanfics cuz you actually keep them in work!D

_Ahah thanks. So do I! I'm glad you do! I hope you continue to love it!_

**nada129: **LOL when raven punches mammoth and he falls flat on hiss arse is funny as hell great chapter keep it up

_xD Bet Mammoth didn't see that coming!_

**Stormplains: **Ack, that's awful! I hope you regain some blood. The chapter was rather good (and I'm ok with the typos, I've had/seen worse). Can't wait for more!  
Keep writing strong.

_After a day or two of stuffing myself with sugary things, I think I'm okay xD Good :) _

**Angelic Toaster: **Why were you bleeding everywhere? Are you alright? Also, the chapter is awesome, anyways :D

_As stupid as this is gonna sound, I'm prone to nosebleeds (weak blood vessels in my nose. Family trait) Because my blood pressure is a lot lower than the average (which comes with a whole load of crap of its own), all it takes is one heavy nosebleed and I start feeling crap/feint (I had two that day – both around an hour long) Found out today it's because I'm coming down with some sort of cold or something. Yay -_-. Glad you liked the chapter though!_

**Spikesagitta: **I'm pretty sure Raven will be a switch :p She can B'e both a Dom and a Sub :)

_Hmm, I'm also pretty sure she would be. _

**TehMaskedWarrior: **OH, so much better... Than the original of course! Why were you bleeding? You've cought my curiosity.

_Good! And (copied and pasted from my reply to Angelic Toaster xD) As stupid as this is gonna sound, I'm prone to nosebleeds (weak blood vessels in my nose. Family trait) Because my blood pressure is a lot lower than the average (which comes with a whole load of crap of its own), all it takes is one heavy nosebleed and I start feeling crap/feint (I had two that day – both around an hour long) Found out today it's because I'm coming down with some sort of cold or something._

**Dak Hamee: **Lol a lots happening in 1 day :3 I hope Raven can keep up hehe

_It is, isn't it? Think Rae's gonna be emotionally worn out by the end of this day, bless her._

**Mttmercado: **its like, i feel for raven, but i feel for jinx, in a weird, way. im sure jinx must TRULY like her some what, if shes willing to do this. buuut then again raven is of course right to be super weary. mind drift! sweetness! awesome! I wonder if it is b/c of friday the 13th

_Yeah, on the one hand, crap Raven! Don't listen to her! On the other hand, what exactly made Jinx think of the idea in the first place? (perhaps a very nice daydream of a certain titan? :P)_

**Chaosrin: **ah bleeding...you should relax no need to visit pearly gates so soon :) Anyway i don't notice any typos maybe one or two. Like the expanded details.

_No rest for the wicked :P That's good. I can deal with just one or two typos. _

**borvaintavers86: **Heh, yeah that's me. The Professional Lurker, don't tell other people I've given up my Lurking ways, gotta a reputation to maintain and all that. But anyways! Another great chapter, I don't know which version I like more, the Raven who gives in and goes on a date or the one who is playing hard to get. Hmmm, I'm leaning more towards the Hard To Get one. I look forward to more research to find out which one I like best. Your portrayal of the others is also rather good, I particularly like Gizmo and Mammoth. In my opinion they don't get enough attention in fics and you seem to be doing a good job of giving them some screen time. So keep up the good work and I'll be here to post another review when the next chapter come up.  
That is all.

_Ahah! Your secret is safe with me. (And anyone else who happens to read the reviews for this thing xD) I think I like the more… hard to get Raven. Good. Because I personally hate writing Mammoth. Not keen on Gizmo, but he's easier to work with. _

**Knight of the Raven: **While Jinx's plan to rob Raven of her very free will revolts me (if I understood her plan correctly), that she's actually depicted as evil is immensely refreshing.  
There are still the 'issues' I mentioned previously, but since I've already mentioned them before and it's a matter of writing style anyway, I won't talk about them.  
Even though he's not a main character here, I loved how you wrote Cyborg with lines like "Cyborg muttered under his breath, clearly unhappy about being dragged into the debate. "She is walkin' bad luck." He saw Raven open her mouth to reply and quickly stopped her. "Maybe it is just some myth, but I thought a lot of other things were just myths too before you showed up. Maybe we're wrong about this one too."" and ""Want me to stick it in the microwave for you? Might be safer, what with your amazing cooking skills an' all.""  
Jinx wasn't bad either with """You must think I'm royally stupid."  
"I'm starting to."" and ""Seriously though, call me.""  
"If they can forgive than Terra girl for takin' over Jump that time, they can ignore a few arguments." was an excellent point.  
I was surprised with the amount of apostrophes when the Hive talk among themselves though.  
Raven's reasoning in the last part was good.

_Hmm, perhaps free will isn't quite what I'd call it. Trying to make the titans turn against her? Definitely. Oh I don't know about evil xD A cruel bitch of a girl though, definitely. I'm glad you like Cyborg. I like Cyborg too. As for the apostrophes… since I try and write their words with an accent (Mammoth especially is known for his bad articulation), and I feel unhappy about leaving letters out of words, the apostrophes go in to show where one or two letters are missing._

* * *

Her hood pulled up, Raven leant back against an old maple tree, her position giving her an almost complete view of the vast field that made up Jump City's largest, and most popular, park. Her eyes scanned the dark for the pink haired thief, becoming more and more certain with each passing second that it was nothing more than a trap – a poorly executed trap. Raven checked the time on her communicator; she considered forgetting about the whole thing and going back to the tower when she saw she was almost five minutes early, her previous resolve quickly crumbling outside the walls of her room.

She felt uncomfortable without her cloak to hide in, the material of her black jeans stiff and unyielding - a testament to how little they'd been worn. She fidgeted slightly, tugging on the waistband as she started to worry that they might slow her down if she had walked into a fight. But coming dressed in her cloak and leotard had been out of the question. If it wasn't a trap, and someone recognised her while she was with Jinx…

"Raven! You're early!"

She stiffened and turned to look behind her, up the path, her eyes landing on Jinx. She noticed – with a small sense of relief – that Jinx had attempted to dress down somewhat, the girl's pink hair falling just past her shoulders instead of being up in her customary horns. She hadn't quite let go of her usual theme though, and was wearing a rich purple tank top, along with a black jean mini-skirt and her usual platform boots.

"Aren't you cold?" Raven asked with a small frown as she took in the girl's outfit.

"Would you offer me your hoodie if I said yes?"

"No."

"Good." Jinx grinned, coming to a stop a few steps away from the empath. "Because _no one_ wears black and navy together. Someone needs to take you shoppin'."

Raven crossed her arms and scowled at the meta human. "I didn't come here to talk fashion."

"Right. Because you have some questions lined up for me, don't'cha?" She made a show of studying their surroundings. "Not a Titan in sight. I'm impressed. So, you guys have an argument or somethin'?"

"What?"

"Did you have an argument with one of the Titans?" Jinx asked slowly, carefully pronouncing each word as though Raven were deaf. The empath didn't reply, so she added. "Just tryin' to figure out the change of heart. I mean, you were tryin' to strangle me earlier. So was it the alien? Beast Boy? It bet it wasn't Cy… Was it Robin?" She carefully watched the titan's reactions, looking for any hints, grinning when Raven finally looked away, obviously uncomfortable. "It was Robin, wasn't it? So, what exactly do the good guys argue about?"

"What's it to you?"

Jinx shrugged. "I'm just interested. I mean, there's not much that makes you step out'a line. The titan with an unwavering sense of duty and a glare that can kill; why do you think everyone's shit scared of you?"

"He… wanted to know why I strangled you." Raven muttered, still looking away from the villainess.

"Well, he aint the only one. Got to say, I was kinda surprised myself. Robin wasn't too happy with you, huh?"

She shrugged. "Not exactly."

"Well, if we're actually gonna get some proper conversation goin' between us, why don' we go get somethin' to eat? It _is_ kinda cold out 'ere, an' I know a real quiet place we can go where it's unlikely for someone to recognise us. The food's good too."

"Or why don't we stay here? I can ask my questions, and then I can leave."

"And I promise to answer most of your questions. If we go get somethin' to eat." Jinx grinned. "I'm not sure how cooperative I'm gonna be if we stay here." Raven glared at her, but the girl remained unfazed. "Well, we might as well be comfortable. I mean, what harm's it gonna do? Don't you want your questions answerin'?"

"…Fine." She muttered after a few moments, feeling worse about being there with every second. However, she hadn't eaten since that morning, and she _was_ hungry. "Lead the way."

Jinx started walking, glancing back to make sure Raven followed her. "It'll probably be almost empty, considerin' how late it is, and it aint one of these places where the waiters insist on checkin' on you every five minutes, so you'll have the time to ask your questions. So, why did you strangle me anyway?"

"I thought it was obvious." Raven replied.

"I can think of a few possible explanations, but even so, it seems a bit of an extreme reaction. Obviously you aren't _that_ upset with me for kissin' you; you wouldn't be here if you were."

Raven's eyes narrowed, though she wasn't sure whether she should be feeling angry or embarrassed. "In front of my team. After you'd injured me. Do you even realise how much trouble that could have gotten me in, even if I was the-"

"Chill. I'd checked to make sure your teammates were busy." Jinx interrupted. "Besides, I gave you nothin' more than a small scratch. You've handled worse."

"Small scratch? Tell that to Cyborg. I have several stitches."

The thief looked back at Raven, surprised. "Well, it can't be _that_ bad. I mean, you're walkin' fine. Okay, so maybe it is a bit more than a scratch. Still aint bad enough to make you try an' strangle me." Seeing that Raven wasn't going to reply, she added, "Suppose it aint the first time you've freaked out durin' a fight, if that Dr Light guy's tellin' the truth."

"What?"

"Well, apparently, you went all weird on 'im. Red eyes, black tentacles or whatever. The loser used to ask the prison guards for a night light." She smirked. "Used to be _real_ phobic of the dark. For a joke, one guy locked him in the penitentiary's recreation room an' turned the lights off on 'im – it aint got any windows, since it's the only place they don't really have heavily guarded to give it a more 'relaxed' atmosphere. Never heard a man scream like that before. Guards thought we were tryin' to neck someone. Think it's about the best entertainment we've ever had in that place."

"Wait, you're kept in the same wing as the guys?"

"Uhuh. Broke out of the other wing to many times. The guards there are too soft. All I 'ad to do was sneeze or fake a cough and they'd send me to the infirmary, and that place is unbelievable easy to bust out of. Think they were expectin' me to get spooked and promise to behave more. Didn't take me long to leave an impression on anyone who tried anythin'. Suppose the fact that Mammoth's got my back helps."

"Well, that explains why you three always seem to break out at the same time." Raven muttered. "Robin's been getting headaches trying to figure out how you manage to communicate with your teammates."

"The guys in charge didn't tell you?"

"Of course not. Mixing prisoners like that is against protocol. Whoever authorised the move could be fired if the information went public, and the prison would have to undergo several inspections and check out completely clean or risk being shut down for improper conduct."

"S'not my fault. If Jump had more female metas with a habit of breaking the law, they'd have probably considered upgrading the wing's security, but as it is… You're not gonna tell your leader, are you?"

"And make it easier for you to break out? Of course not. I don't feel like getting the prison staff into trouble because you're a pain in their collective ass. Besides, they're almost being kind; if I worked at the penitentiary, I'd stick you all in solitary confinement and make sure you stayed there for your entire sentence."

"… My total sentencing is lookin' to be over ten years, at the very least."

"I know."

"Why _don't_ I believe you'd actually do that? Anyway; I had a point I was making. 'Bout the whole freak out thing with Dr Light. I mean, I saw your eyes flash red when you were attackin' me. I know yours go white sometimes, and mine pink, but red? I'm not gonna lie, it really freaked me the fuck out. What caused that?"

The empath's eyes narrowed. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"I'm just askin'. Why so defensive all of a sudden?"

"Just leave it; I'm not going to answer any questions about it."

"Answerin' the question aint gonna kill you."

"I know. That doesn't mean I have to answer it though."

"Oh come on!"

"This is pointless." Raven muttered, turning round. "Forget it. I'm going back to the tower."

Jinx reached back and grabbed hold of the empath's arm, halting her. "Okay; I'll stop askin'."

"I said forget it." She yanked her arm out of the girl's grip and started to walk forward again, forgetting it would have been quicker for her to teleport.

The meta human watched her for a moment, before running up and grabbing her arm again, this time pulling the titan along in the opposite direction, Raven's surprise giving her an advantage. Jinx knew she wouldn't have managed it otherwise.

"Jinx, what are you doing?" Raven asked sharply.

"Taking you out for somethin' to eat. I'm hungry, and you probably are too. How thick are you?"

* * *

"See, quiet as a grave. Almost." Jinx spoke as she dragged Raven into the small restaurant, seeing that only two table were occupied.

"You know, sometimes things are better hidden in a crowd than in a room where sound travels." Raven muttered, pulling her arm out of the thief's grip.

"Don't think you're gonna find much of a crowd this time of night, unless you wanna go to one of the clubs or somethin'. An' I didn't exactly take you for a clubbin' kinda girl."

"This is fine." The titan made her way towards one of the tables at the back of the room, putting some distance between them and the two occupied tables at the front, quickly sitting down.

Jinx sat down opposite, ignoring the menu as she leant forwards, propping her arms on the table, smiling. "So, what did you wanna ask me?"

"Why?"

"Why what? You're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that."

"Why are you doing this?"

Jinx frowned a moment. "You mean meetin' up with you? Because I want to."

"I don't think so. What could you possible think you're going to gain from this? Information, perhaps?

"Bad guys like to take a day off every now and then, you know. Maybe I just wanted to hand out with a pretty girl." Jinx shrugged, still smiling. "Aint my fault she also happens to be a titan."

"Of course not. It's just complete coincidence." Raven muttered sarcastically.

"You don't believe me?"

"Why should I? You could tell me the earth is round, and I wouldn't believe you."

"Then questionin' me is pointless. Why you so bothered 'bout my motives anyway?"

"Because this is obviously some kind of trap you're trying to pull off." She answered. "Whatever it is, it isn't going to work."

Jinx looked up as a waitress came over to the table, aware Raven was still watching her.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Umm, give us a few more minutes, please." The meta human offered the waitress a smile, picking up her menu as she looked back at Raven. "I'd say it's workin' pretty well. I mean, you are here, aren't you?" She watched the titan's eyes narrow, her own smile widening in response.

Raven leaned forward over the table, the glare still on her face. "_Why_ are you doing this?"

Jinx copied her, putting the menu down as she leant forward until she was only inches away from the titan. "You obviously don't get out much, do you? Well, let me spell it out for you; I gave you my number in the hopes you'd call me. I wanted you to call me 'cause it's been a while since my last _proper_ date. And before you say anythin', I know, this 'isn't' a date. Whatever. Since you're obviously a bit of a hermit, how about I tell you why people date? People date because they're hopin' to either 1) get a few free drinks, or meal, or whatever out of it, 2) get to know that hot chick on the block a little better an' perhaps impress her somewhat, or him, or whatever your type is. 3) Get laid, or 4) all of the above - but if you ask me, that's just bein' too ambitious. Are we on the same page yet?" She watched Raven sit back, a frown having replaced her glare, and let her sit in silence for a moment, before adding, "Yeah, I know. You don't believe me. Swap our roles around, and I wouldn't believe you either… Although I'd probably play the situation to my advantage as best I could for a while."

The titan looked down at the table and menu in front of her, before looking back up at Jinx. "We should probably order something before they kick us out."

"That your way of sayin' you do believe me?"

"No. If that's what I wanted to say, I'd say it. I suppose I'll have to pay for this, considering any money you have on you have been acquired illegally."

"Well, I'm not one to turn away free food. If this isn't your way of sayin' you believe me, what is it?"

Raven shrugged and picked up her menu. "It's called 'being hungry'. It's something someone feels when they haven't eaten in a while."

"Thanks, but I think I understand that a little better than you do." Jinx replied, keeping her tone light. "So, are we done with the interrogation?"

"For the moment."

"Good. And for what it's worth, sorry 'bout the stitches. I will honestly feel real bad if I managed to scar such _gorgeous_ legs."

Jinx grinned as Raven's cheeks blushed red, the empath trying to hide her face behind her menu.

* * *

"It's a simple question. Yes or no?" Jinx asked, coming to a stop as they reached the expanse of field known as Central Park. "Come on; what the fuck can I do with the knowledge of your favourite colour?"

"I'm sure you'd find some way to use it." Raven muttered, before shrugging. "I've never really thought about it. I suppose it's blue."

"Well you sure do wear enough of it." Jinx grinned. "Now, you sure you don't wanna grill me with any more questions? Last chance."

"Are you going to give me different answers?"

"Nope."

"Then there's not point."

"Well then, same time here in three days. Don't give me no crap about it not being a date, and if you show up wearing black and navy again, I will redress you."

Raven frowned at the thief. "Who said anything about meeting up again? I only came here to question you. Since you're sticking to your answers, there's no reason for me to see you again outside fights."

"Oh come on, I know you enjoyed tonight. Well I'm going to be here at ten anyway, whether you decide to show up or not, and if you need to get away from that stuffy tower of yours before that, well you have my number."

"I _won't_ be there." Raven replied.

Jinx grinned. "Of course you won't. No wearing navy with black, and don't turn up in interrogation mode. We managed almost two hours of normal conversation tonight. How about we try an' break that record?" She didn't wait for Raven's reply, but quickly moved forward and lightly kissed the titan, pulling back before she had time to react. "See yah, Rae."

Raven watched the girl leave with in shock, before she frowned, teleporting to Titan's Tower. Caught up in feelings of returning guilt, confusion and irritation, she didn't notice her leader sat at the kitchen's breakfast counter as she moved towards the kettle.

"Where have you been?"

Raven jumped at the sound of Robin's voce, and turned to look at him. "Out."

"I noticed." He motioned towards her with the coffee mug he was holding. "You hardly wear your civi clothes. And you're _rarely_ distracted enough to miss someone in the same room as yourself. You alright?"

She nodded, turning back to the kettle and filling it with water from the sink before putting it on to boil. "I'm fine. I just felt like going out, and I didn't want to be recognised by every other person. Hence the clothes." She moved to search the cupboards, putting out a mug and a box of green tea. "Why are you still up?"

"Got a fax from the police. People have been disappearing."

Raven frowned and turned to face Robin, having put everything down on the kitchen counter. "That's… not exactly our usual department."

"Yeah, I know. But seven people have been reported missing in the last week. The police are expecting a serial killer of some sort, considering all the missing people are petite women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. This is… kind of too active for your general serial killer though, so they want us to be aware of the situation just in case it does turn out to be a meta human or something they're after."

"They haven't found a body, but they're already suspecting the women are dead?" Raven frowned, before nodding. "I suppose it makes sense. It'd be hard to keep that many people quiet if they were being held captive. And here I thought our biggest problem was meta human thieves."

"Raven, earlier with Jinx-"

"Rage was a little… out of control. She's competitive – _I'm_ competitive – by nature. She didn't like the fact Jinx had beaten us. I hadn't been able to meditate after the first fight, so it was easier for her to fight her way into my conscious mind."

"So you've got it under control?"

She shrugged, turning back to the kettle as it finished boiling and filled her mug. "I should have, soon. After a few more hours of meditation."

Robin nodded. "Good. About what I said earlier… I never meant to imply-"

"It's okay." She interrupted him. "I know. I was just…"

"Stressing out?"

She nodded, glancing back at him over her shoulder. "Yeah."


	6. Chapter 6

**Moving would be fun, they said. You'll enjoy it, they said. -_- Over the last week I've given four extra large binbags of clothes to various charities, filled another four binbags with shit I've been hoarding over the years (tram tickets, bus tickets, ancient school planners, empty medicine packets and inhalers, plastic bags, you get the idea. I found a mountain of empty pens in one drawer xD) I'm… somewhat extremely reluctant to throw things out – I could still fill another four binbags, but I'm not going to. I've almost finished packing, and I've started adding things to my carryon bag. My room is starting to feel empty.**

**In other news, I've started working on ****chapter 2 for Hunted****! Can you believe it?! Hopefully I'll get it up some time during the next few weeks for you guys :) **

* * *

**nada129: **great work on this chapter I love it keep it up and I look forward to your next update

_glad you liked it :)_

**Angelic Toaster: **_Ahah it wasn't like this – or at least, I changed it quite a bit. Ahah the original WAS a bad write in general. Ahah I wouldn't say my body is particularly weak – it can take more than it's fair share of a beating :P but I do get light headed easily, so… I always have a nice cup of tea after a nosebleed. But then I'm always drinking tea :P My doctor's suggested I get it cauterized, but I'm hesitant. Ahah I'll try xD Can't say I'm particularly found of planes, though. _

**Mttmercado:**_Quick titans! Why haven't you saved the day already? :P_

**TehMaskedWarrior: **_Mhmm :) Hopefully it'll go smoothly. One day I will stop with the typos/spelling errors. One day…_

**I'm a Lover not a Hater: **_:P Glad you're still enjoying_

**Spikesagitta: **_More or less, yeah, you got it. _

**Stormplains: **_Thanks :) Glad you thought so, and yeah, this cannot be good :P_

**Dak Hamee: **_Ahah xD Alternate scene is good. Damn me for not thinking of that last line. Good!_

**Knight of the Raven: **_Long review is long. Well, I'm glad you like this Jinx. Glad you liked Raven too, though I've always seen her as being a very patient person - she'd have to be, to enforce so much self discipline! You're probably right; blushing probably enough of a description. As for Raven being competitive, I'm looking at it from the side of, in my opinion, a demon would have an extremely strong survival instinct. Anything with strong survival instincts tend to be competitive, whether it over food, mates, or territory. Losing a fight would be a loss that – to a primitive mind - would increase the number of challenges against them, thus making their survival less likely. Obviously Raven isn't primitive, but all behaviour stems from primitive roots. But that's just my view on things. Head cannon. Raven in the comics tries to remain on the defensive, being a pacifist (and a vegan, according to early comics) and tries to avoid fights, while animation Raven seems too cool headed to react to something due to some competitive feeling. It's just my personal interpretation on her character. I'll try and hold back on the commas, and Jinx DOES grin a lot – I'll see if I can find another word I can use, though. _

**DragoLord19D : **_Don't give it away! :P _

* * *

Raven was the last to enter the common room the next morning. It was a rarity, but the empath had decided to meditate a little longer than usual after she discovered her thoughts weren't as hectic as they'd been the previous day. She paused as she spotted everyone but Robin sat on the sofa, their leader stood by the large computer screen that doubled as a TV.

"What did I miss?" She asked as she moved over to the kitchen.

"Remember the fax from the police I told you about last night?"

"About the possible serial killer?"

"Yeah. They've found a body." Robin answered grimly before he looked at his three friends sat on the sofa, making sure he had everyone's attention. "Forensics can't find anything; no tool marks, no evidence of suffocation or drowning, no poison… nothing. All her organs were more than healthy for her age group… It's like she died in her sleep. The police can't prove it was murder, but they've still listed her death as 'suspicious'."

"They're suspecting foul play?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes. We currently have six missing women, all who match the same basic profile – brunette women aged between 18 and 25, ranging between the heights 5 foot 5 and 5 foot 8. That, and her nails were ripped to shreds, like she'd been clawing at something. Forensics checked, but the only thing they found under her nails was her own DNA. The cops are taking it as signs of a struggle."

"Dude, what the hell?" Beast Boy shook his head. "I know I'm not exactly the smartest member of the team, but even I know whoever offed her should have left _some_ trace of DNA somewhere. Or some other substance that could be used to trace where the dude'd been."

"If they did, forensics can't find it." Robin shrugged, before looking at Raven. "What do you think?"

"Someone may have used glamour to hide any evidence." Raven answered slowly. "It's a form of magic that's relatively easy to use, even for a baby practitioner, however a cover up at this scale would take a lot of control. We'd be looking at an old or very talented practitioner. Either that, or they could have killed the woman with a direct spell."

"Is there any way you could tell if some sort of magic had been used?"

She nodded. "All magic leaves traces. If I were to see the body or the sight of her death, and magic had been used, I'd be able to sense it."

"Could you trace it?"

"It would take time, but possibly."

"Right. The police have sent us a copy of their reports, and the profiles of the missing women. We'll go through them and see if we can find something they didn't. I'll also get in touch and see if we can take a look at the body."

"Count me out." Beast Boy quickly spoke up. "And if there are any pictures in the file on the body, you can keep them away from me."

"There's no need to go over the pictures – like I said, there isn't a mark on her, apart from her nails. As for seeing the body, Raven's the one that needs to see it, not the rest of you."

"I don't know what the police are expectin' us to find. We're not exactly trained detectives or anything. Hell, some of us still aren't old enough to legally drink. We're just kids that deal with petty 'super villains'. You sure this aint out of our league?" Cyborg frowned.

"The Brotherhood of evil did not have the clean hands." Starfire spike up. "Neither did the Trigon."

"Or Brother Blood." Raven added. "They only difference is they came looking for us, and this time we'll be the ones looking."

"We're still not detectives though. Cy's right, what are we gonna find that the police aren't?" Beast Boy frowned.

"We have more knowledge on meta humans and things that aren't usually covered in police training." Robin answered. "Things that could explain the lack of forensic evidence. Information the police don't have without calling in the Feds and their specialists, and the police hate asking Feds for help – that attitude doesn't change no matter what city you're in."

"And you think that's gonna help us find this guy?"

Robin shrugged, looking at the changeling. "Hopefully."

They all looked towards the main computer as the sound of klaxons filled the room, red lights flashing on and off. Robin quickly moved to the computer and entered his password to gain access.

"A silent alarm's been triggered. Warehouse 7, by the old cargo ports. We can continue this conversation later."

* * *

"I thought these warehouses aren't used anymore." Beast Boy muttered.

"They aint. Most of them aint, anyway." Cyborg replied. "Still owned property though, and a few are still used for storage."

"Well, there isn't anything round this side of the building." Raven muttered. "No signs of forced entry either. Let's find the others and leave. It smells like something's died in one of the trashcans."

"I don't smell anything." Cyborg frowned, taking a deep breath through his nose. "Nothing but the sea air."

"No, Raven's right. Something around here does smell kinda bad."

"Since when was your sense of smell as good as BB's?"

"There is a reason for why I try to avoid the corridor outside Beast Boy's room." Raven replied dryly, to Cyborg's amusement.

"Hey! That's not cool! My room doesn't smell."

Raven smiled slightly, before answering Cyborg. "It isn't, not with everything, especially when compared to some of Beast Boy's animal forms. However… my heritage makes me sensitive to certain scents."

"Flesh?" He guessed, and the empath nodded.

"There's probably just a dead rat or something nearby."

All three communicators went off, and they let Cyborg answer, his being built into his arm.

"Hey Rob. You find anything?"

"A door's been forced open our side. Regroup at my position, and we'll check it out."

Cyborg nodded. "On our way."

He ended the call and started walking, Raven and Beast Boy quick to follow.

"The smell's getting worse." Raven complained as they reached the end of the building and followed it around the corner, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.

"I still don't smell anything."

"It hasn't gotten worse for me." Beast Boy shrugged. "I'd shift into a blood hound, see if I could figure out what it is, but from the way Rae's reacting, I think I'll pass."

They spotted Robin and Starfire stood by an open door, and picked up the pace.

"So, what we got?" Cyborg asked as they came to a stop.

"I'm guessing they forced the door open with a crowbar. Whatever they did, they broke the lock." Robin shrugged, turning to look at them, and pausing. "Raven, what are you doing?"

"Protecting my sense of smell."

"From what?" He asked, frowning.

"From something that smells like a cross between an outhouse and rotting meat." She answered, grimacing.

"I do not smell anything." Starfire spoke up.

"It's there." Beast Boy nodded. "We're going on the theory of it being a dead rat… or ten." He added after glancing at the empath.

"Right. Raven, since when as your sense of smell been-"

"It isn't." She interrupted, before motioning towards the door. "Now, if it's alright, I would prefer to search the place and leave."

Their leader frowned, but nodded, entering the warehouse, the others following. "Split up and check out the area." Robin ordered upon seeing the building was a maze full of old crates and shelves. "I doubt whoever broke in is still here, but Starfire, I want you to stay here and cover the door, just in case."

Beast Boy started to move forward, before suddenly coming to a stop, his face managing to appear more green than usual. "Okay, now I can _really_ smell it. What the hell is that?"

"I don't think it's a rat." Raven muttered unhappily. "I think we've found a body."

Robin looked back at her, alarmed, while Cyborg frowned.

"Come on – the alarm went off an hour ago at the most. A body aint gonna start to stink _that_ quickly."

"Get moving." Robin ordered as he continued forward, disappearing into one of the aisles of crates. "Beast Boy, see if you can find the source of the smell."

"Dude, no way! I am not shifting into any animal with a nose better than mine."

Raven sighed, letter her hand drop away from her face. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll see if I can find whatever it is."

She moved towards the crates on her right, her stomach churning unhappily, letting her know she was moving in the right direction. She could hear the others work their way further into the building, having chosen their own aisles to explore, shouting comments to each other when they'd covered an area and come up empty. Raven noted that if whoever tripped the alarm was still here, the team wasn't going to have the element of surprise on their side.

Working her way through the maze, she paused when she reached a corner and realise she could smell little else but rot, the pungent scent so thick it almost stuck to her. Taking a deep breath – and instantly regretting the decision – she closed her eyes and leaned around the corner, trying to steady her nerves before she slowly opened her eyes…

Only to slam them shut again. Fighting down the bile that rose in her throat, se retreated back around the corner. "Robin?"

"What?" She could hear his frustration in his voice, probably irritated that _he_ was get to come across anything.

"Call the police and let them know we think we've found one of the missing women."

Morbid curiosity made her slowly move to look around the corner again, her eyes finding the body. It matched the profile of missing women – a fairly young looking, petite brunette – but this one definitely hadn't been a clean kill. Someone had attached two meat hooks from the ceiling, the tips of the hooks poking out under the woman's collar bones, one either side, keeping her hoisted above the ground. Something had been used to split her stomach open, her intestines poking out of the gap.

Hearing heavy footsteps coming her way, she turned around and looked at Cyborg instead.

"Do I want to look?"

She shook her head. "No. Where's Robin?"

"Outside; he couldn't get any signal in here. Star and BB went with him. He's making his way over once he's managed to get hold of the police."

Raven nodded, moving her hand to cover her nose again, scowling slightly when it did little to help.

"If it's any consolation, I can smell it too now." He smiled slightly. "How bad is it?"

"It's like something out of a horror film." She winced. "She fits the profile of the previous body the police found, otherwise I wouldn't have said this was the was killer."

"So, not a clean kill?"

"If it was, they look their time afterwards to theatrically display her. You were right though – a body only an hour old wouldn't smell this bad. She's been dead for a while."

Robin walked past them without a word, turning round the corner. When he didn't turn back like the two titans had been expecting, Raven looked around the corner again, careful to keep her eyes on him this time, watching Robin as he analysed the scene.

"Are the police on their way?" She asked, receiving a nod.

"They should be here any moment." They heard him sigh heavily. "She matches the profile of missing women, but why the theatrics?"

"So our guy isn't a serial killer? I mean, don't they tend to have a set way of killing or something?"

"Not necessarily." Raven muttered. "The whole petite brunette trend would be enough to get them loosely admitted to the label."

"They could be trying to throw the police off." Robin said slowly. "Or maybe the police found the first body too early, and they'd meant to do something like this. Maybe the killer wants people to find the bodies."

"Even so, why would they do it like this if they can kill them cleanly? Surely they're more likely to leave behind DNA or other evidence that could help trace them doing it this way." Raven asked, frowning.

"Forensics might be able to figure out when was used for the stomach wound, and trace the weapon." Robin nodded. "And she wasn't killed here. If a car or something was caught on camera…"

"She what?" Cyborg asked, staring at the wall in front of him as he resisted the urge to look at his friend while he spoke to him.

"She didn't die here. There isn't enough blood." Robin answered, eyes dropping to the small puddle of crimson on the floor. "Which means she was cut open somewhere else. Perhaps forensics can find some fibre or substance on her – something to give us a clue to where she'd been before here."

"Robin!" Starfire's voice travelled clearly through the building. "The police are here! I have sent them in!"

"Thanks Star! We'll be out in a moment!" Robin shouted back.

"I'm leaving now." Raven shook her head, eyes flickering to the body before she moved over to where Cyborg was stood. "I need fresh air."

"That's okay. Cy, you can head out too if you want, and wait with Star and Beast Boy."

* * *

Robin paced back and forth across the common room while his team watched him from the sofa, staying out of his way. It was obvious he was deep in thought, and they didn't want to distract him.

He paused and looked round at Cyborg. "Can you bring up the footage from all the security cameras in the area? I want to see if there's anything on them around the time the alarm was triggered."

"So, what did you find?" Beast Boy asked as he watched Cyborg move over to the computer. "Did it match the previous body?"

"Yes and no. She's one of the missing women, They… style was different though." His brows furrowed. "I think it's the same person who killed her, I'm just struggling to understand why they'd change methods. She'd been put on _display_."

"Often, during battles that had taken place on Tameran, Warriors would take the bodies of their enemy and display them – of hoisted on poles - as a way of intimidating the enemy." Starfire spoke up. "Perhaps our killer is trying to intimidate somebody?"

"But who?" Robin frowned. "If that alarm hadn't been triggered, the body could have stayed there for months before someone found it."

"And man would I hate to be that unlucky dude." Beast Boy shook his head. "That'd just be pure nasty."

"Then that narrows it down to members of the police force, and us." Raven replied. "Perhaps this is some sort of extreme revenge for a case that had been handled badly?"

"There could be thousands of possible motives." Robin shrugged.

Beast Boy frowned. "So, say someone triggered that silent alarm on purpose. Who do you know that holds a humongous grudge against us?"

"You mean excluding everyone we've sent to jail?" Raven asked.

"We don't know they wanted someone specific to find it." Cyborg reminded them. "Maybe they're just some wacko that's watched too many horror movies and wanted to act out a scene?"

"Act out a scene six times?" Robin frowned.

"I dunno. Maybe that's their MO? Keep killing until they get it perfect. Isn't that what serial killers are about?"

"I still don't know what you expect us to find that the police wont." Beast Boy complained. "Why can't we just let the police deal with it? You're the only person on the team with any experience for this kinda stuff."

"The police asked for our help, Beast Boy, and we'll help them as much as we can. Could you really just sit back while this person kills people in our city?"

"From the sound of it, they already have enough people to keep them going for a while." Raven muttered dryly. "Unless you're expecting to magically find where they're being kept, if they're still alive. How many women did you say had been reported missing?"

"Six." He quoted without having to look at anything for confirmation. "They found the first body late last night. We found the second today… we could be looking at six more days of bodies if they're working to some sort of time period."

"That's a lot of opportunities for them to mess up." Cyborg noted. "The police'll find somethin'."

"Could you not ask for some assistance from the Batman?" Starfire asked.

"No." He answered sharply. "Cyborg, Raven, start looking at those tapes as soon as they've loaded. I'll be-"

"In the exact same place you always go when you decide to get all obsessive over something?" Beast Boy asked.

"-in the evidence room, going over the reports again. Hopefully we'll get sent a copy of the forensics report for today's body once it's been examined."

"We'll tell you if we find anything." Raven said.

"Good." He nodded, before walking out of the common room.

"Then what are myself and Beast Boy supposed to do?"

"Whatever you want." Cyborg shrugged. "You can help us go through the tapes if you want."

"It's not like we have anything else to do." Beast Boy muttered as he brought his feet up to rest on the coffee table, sliding down in his seat until he was comfortable.

"You have your patrol in an hour." Cyborg reminded the changeling after glancing at the computer for the time.

"Apart from that."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Crappy internet connection, and busy days settling in/finding work means slow and irregular updates should be expected. I am writing whenever I can spare the time though!**

**Reviews**

**Angelic Toaster: **Awesome chapter, really :D And I can't wait for the next bit of Hunted!

_Glad you liked it. And it'll get posted… eventually haha_

**Mttmercado: **oh snap, i miss jinx already, where are you jinx, this killer is freaaaaaaky

_Ahah xD _

**Spikesagitta: **Oh. I did not need that mental image. I had just eaten...  
Still I'm starting to remember bits and pieces.

_Sorry 'bout that :') _

**nada129: **this chapter is just plain awesome great work on the smells and description I love my horror movies and it gave me an image strait out of one I really look foreword to the next chapter I hope you update soon

_I love my horror movies too. When I'm not watching kids animations xD _

**Dak Hamee: **Hmmm not as different from the last version than the other chapters, but still good and creepy

_Quite a few chapters will be similar to the original – hopefully just better written- since I'm sticking to the original plot etc, but this chapter will be somewhat different from the original :)_

**Knight of the Raven: **That's certainly a change from the previous chapters. Gone are flirt and stomach butterflies, now we have a butcher on the loose. I wonder how it'll link with the romance side of the story.  
I don't know whether it's flesh, blood, or concepts like murder or bloodlust that Raven can smell, but it's interesting. So are Raven's guesses about the magic that could have been used. Poor Raven though. No wonder she needs fresh air.  
I liked the line "She could hear his frustration in his voice, probably irritated that *he* was yet to come across anything."

_Ahah, in the words of Mr J, 'you'll see…' I like playing around with Raven's genetics – I mean, she is half demon after all, and the animation didn't really explore how that affected her physiology minus the whole four eyes thing. _

**SweeTarts151: **Loved it the first time you wrote it and am happy to read it again :D And I love how you write,

_I'm glad you did! _

**Stormplains: **Yuck. But a serial killer is very different than anything the Titans have faced. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Keep writing strong.

_It is quite yucky, isn't it?_

* * *

Raven frowned slightly, studying the two building walls that framed either side of the video. "Are you sure we haven't already watched this one?"

"Yeah. I'm marking them off as we go along."

Raven shifted slightly and glanced at Beast Boy, who'd come back from his patrol roughly an hour ago and fallen asleep not much later, his head hanging over the back of the sofa. "We've been looking for almost three hours. I don't think we're going to find anything. For all we know, they used some sort of teleportation to get inside the warehouse, then forced the door open to try and throw us off."

"You bored?" Cyborg asked, smiling slightly.

"You have to ask?"

The video flickered, and Cyborg leaned forward in his seat, a frown on his face. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah. What was it?" Raven asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe interference or something?" He rewound the tape a few seconds, before playing it again.

"Interference as in?"

"If there's a dodgy wire or a connection problem to whatever computer it's hooked up to the picture can sometimes cut out." He rewound the tape again, this time slowing down the frame rate. The flicker of black couldn't have lasted for longer than half a second, but it obscured the entire screen.

"What are the chances of it being interference?"

"Not good." Cyborg muttered, rubbing the nape of his neck while he frowned at his screen. "If it was something to do with a poor connection, it'd be cutting off regularly… maybe with some static. We're already three hours into the tape."

"Mark it, and we can take another look after we've gone through the rest of the tapes. Even if it's nothing, at least we can tell whoever owns it, their camera's faulty."

"You think it's got something to do with whoever's abducting these women?"

Raven nodded slightly. "We are possibly dealing with a meta human, or something trained in magic. I know I can block cameras like that – even though I'm not a meta human, there isn't reason why someone else shouldn't be able to. Or we might be missing a few frames."

"Someone might have looped the footage too… I'll run it through a few programs – make sure the footage hasn't been tampered with."

Cyborg set the file to run through a few programs, before opening the file of the footage from the next camera, the two titans perched on the edge of their seats as they watched the screen, waiting for the footage to flicker again. Starfire, noticing the change in her teammates, moved over from the kitchen to stand behind them, a large mixing bowl full of a strange green paste cradled in one arm.

"You have found something?"

"Not sure." Cyborg answered the Tameranean without taking his eyes off the screen. "Maybe. I hope so, even if that does mean we're against a meta."

"Please, but what did you see?"

"Nothing." Raven answered dryly, before explaining, "The picture from the last camera blacked out for a moment. It could be nothing, or it could be because someone's tampered with the footage. Or even because someone blocked it out somehow."

"Should I inform Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Not at the moment – let's see if any of the other cameras have the same anomaly. You'd have to pass at least four cameras to get to the building from here. Robin'll only get cranky if we call him over and it turn out to be some electrical fault." Cyborg shook his head as he moved onto the next file, hitting play and speeding up the frame rate.

"But will he not be the 'cranky' because we didn't not inform him earlier if it does turn out to be a lead?"

"… Let's just leave him to whatever he's doing." Raven muttered, on Cyborg's side. "Robin might not yell at you much, but I'd rather we didn't get on his bad side."

"Hold on a second… I think it just did it again." The robotic titan spoke up, both girls immediately turning their attention onto the screen.

"The tape blacked out again?" Raven inquired.

"Mhmm. Star, could you-"

"I shall be back shortly with Robin." She interrupted with a nod, before flying out of the room.

"What are you thinking?"

Cyborg paused the tape and looked at the empath. "That this might be laying out some sort of map, maybe. Showin' us the path they took to get into the warehouse."

Raven considered the idea for a moment, before she elbowed the changeling sat next to her. "Wake up, Beast Boy."

The boy's head snapped up off the back of the sofa, and he looked around at his teammates, his ears perked up in high alert. "Huh? What happened?"

"We think we might'a found something." Cyborg answered. "Can you order a few pizza's? If this goes the way I think it will, I'm not gonna have time to cook tonight."

He nodded, getting to his feet and stretching as he began to move over to the phone in the kitchen. "On it."

"An' don't forget to make all but one with meat, or I'm gonna kill you. I am not eating any of your veggie tofu crap."

* * *

"I've ran all the tapes through a few programs. None of them were missing any frames, an' they hadn't been otherwise tampered with." Cyborg told his leader as he leaded forward and grabbed a slice of pizza off the coffee table. He'd opened all the videos that had the same anomaly, and spread them across the screen so you could see all of them, each paused seconds after the blackout had happened. "I'm guessin' it's the path they used to get into the warehouse, and out again. I checked, and about a minute later – three minutes before we arrived on the scene – all seven cameras have the same blackout again. Which means they didn' just teleport inside."

"That's comforting to know." Robin nodded. "But it doesn't give us anything on who they are or how they blocked out the security cameras. They _must_ have scouted the area a few time before in order to even get them all."

"I got it!" Beast Boy jumped to his feet and turned to face the team. "Maybe it was a ninja!"

"Sit down Beats Boy." Raven muttered, glaring at him. "Before you hurt yourself."

He returned the empath's glare, but sat down. "_I _thought it was a good explanation…"

"The person must have the ability of super speed, like Kid Flash." Starfire offered. "The screen was not blocked for very long."

Robin looked at Cyborg. "Are you sure the files haven't been tampered with?"

"Certain."

He sighed, looking back at the screen. "The speed has to be one of their abilities. Some of those cameras cover a long stretch of ground. Cyborg, check the time difference in those seven tapes between each blackout and calculate a rough distance between each camera, so we can get a rough idea of how fast they were going. I'm going to check the H.I.V.E files for anyone that might match. I doubt anyone from there would be involved in something like this, but I'd be a fool not to check."

"Perhaps I could be of assistance?" Starfire asked.

"Thanks Star, It's not going to be very interesting though."

"Regardless, I wish to do my bit to help."

"Raven, get in touch with the police and let them know we've found a possible lead."

She nodded. "Consider it done."

Robin looked at the changeling, noticing the bags under his eyes. "How'd the patrol go?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "It was kinda quiet. Helped the police sort out a gang fight, and tipped 'em off to two thieves."

Their leader nodded. "Good. Get some rest then – you look like you could need it."

* * *

Three days had passed without the titans finding another body, Robin having sunk into an almost obsessive level of behaviour regarding the unknown killer, spending most of free time in the evidence room, going over what little they had on the case again and again, occasionally ringing the police to see if they'd had any luck. The tower had become less of a sanctuary for Raven, and more of a personal storm cloud for her leader. All the lingering, negative emotions made it hard for her to concentrate, and she'd found herself thinking about the cotton candy haired thief more than once.

Raven hadn't forgotten Jinx's… offer of a date and her over-confident attitude that Raven would actually show up. The girl had made it pretty clear she wanted to see the empath again, although Raven still didn't trust her motives. However she couldn't seem to let the idea go. Something – curiosity maybe – wanted her to meet up with the hex caster again, despite what a bad idea that would be.

Raven entered her room at around half seven, and dumped several bags of shopping onto her bed. Despite how many times shed told herself she wasn't going to meet up with Jinx again, she'd brought a few clothes when Starfire had dragged her to the mall, and she'd avoided buying anything navy.

She went through the bag containing her new books and put them away first before turning to the remaining three bags, regarding them with a somewhat scornful look. She emptied the first bag; two new bras that _had _been a necessity, Raven having broken two that month during fights. On one of them, the hooks on the back and come clean off. Raven had no idea as to how she'd managed that, but had agreed to let Starfire have a look at it after the alien had said she might be able to stitch some new ones in, the empath not someone to let things go to waste. The second bra had been past repair, however, and was thrown out along with the leotard she'd been wearing at the time. Dr Light had updated his projectile beams of light energy, and one had caught Raven on her side, the beam melting through her clothes and badly burning her skin underneath. Some of the material had melted into her flesh, and she'd spent half an hour in the infirmary with Cyborg all but skinning her, wanting to remove the material from her skin before her flesh healed over it, another half an hour while he treated the actual burn. Two days after, and all that remained from the burn was a sore, shiny red, new scar. Three weeks later and the scar was almost unnoticeable – nothing but a pink blemish. It had been a bad injury, she she'd been glad it was her who'd been hit, and not any of her teammates. Her demon genetics had been the only reason she hadn't come out _a lot_ worse.

Out of the second bag came fitted black jeans and a pair of black ankle boots not all that different from the blue ones she wore to fight in. The third bag contained three tops and one jacket. The first top was crimson tank top made from cotton that was carefully fitted to hint at curves she didn't really have. The second top came out of her comfort zone- a dusty blue, short sleeved blouse Raven had been hesitant to buy, though Starfire had convinced her to buy it. It was plain enough, and she didn't exactly _dislike_ the top, just the colour, which managed to bring out the bluish tint her skin had. Starfire thought it was flattering. Raven thought it just highlighted how _different_ she was, but she hadn't been in the mood to start an argument she knew she would have lost.

The last top was closer to her comfort zone, if not a little too decorative. It was black at least, a colour she was comfortable with. It was more of a 'going out' top, as Starfire had described it. It was fitted, with spaghetti straps and two layers. The bottom layer was made from a silky material and stopped at her waist. The top layer was made out of small black beads strung together to made a pattern, meaning about an inch or two of flesh was left showing no matter what bottoms she wore with the top. Raven didn't see herself wearing the top any time soon, only having brought it under Starfire's instruction.

The jacket she _had_ wanted to buy. It cut off at her waist, but had full sleeves and a hood that had been stitched into the coat lining. It looked slightly smarter than the few hoodies she had, and the heavy material reminded her somewhat of her cloak – a comforting reminder. Laying out the clothes on her bed she stared at them.

She knew meeting up with Jinx again was _not_ a good idea. To saw it was a bad idea would be an understatement. But she knew going to meet the bright eyed thief would be a nice break from the currently suffocating feeling hovering around the tower. Raven also entertained the idea that Jinx might have heard something about the recent murders. The underground was, after all, tightly knit. If anyone _had _heard anything…

She grabbed the red tank top, new jeans and her jacket and moved them to one side, along with the ankle boots, before putting the rest of her purchases away. Glancing at her clock, she realised she still had a few hours to go until ten, so made her way towards the common room, trying to ignore the mixed feelings that had bubbled up with her decision.

(….)

Raven walked from the bay to the park, stalling, half hoping Jinx would have left before she got there or had simply forgotten, but despite arriving fifteen minutes late she could see someone's silhouette leaning against the same tree they'd met at three days before.

Jinx turned, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps and moved to meet the empath half way. "Well, what do you know? I was startin' to think you weren't going to show up." She smiled, before looking the titan up and down. "And I'm liking the outfit. _Much_ better than last time."

Raven fidgeted slightly and tugged on the cuffs of her jacket sleeves, not sure how to reply. "I… have a few more questions to ask you."

"Of course you do. What did I say about _not_ turning up in 'titan mode'?"

"You may not have been doing much over the past few days, but we've been dealing with a case of missing people. Two of which have turned up dead."

"Oooh yeah, I saw that on the news." She frowned at the empath. "Why are the cops involving you guys?"

"They think it's a meta. You… haven't heard anything have you?"

"Nuh-uh, talking to a titan is bad for business. I am not being a rat."

Raven crossed her arms and gave Jinx her best glare. "People are dying Jinx; being gutted and hung up for us to find. If you know anything-"

"Okay, chill. About two weeks ago word was circling some fresh meat was tryin' to set up shop here. A few days later the word was to stay clear – and I am."

"Are they a meta human?"

"I don't know. I don't think anyone's seen them. The guy we sell shit to told us, and two thugs he also buys from told him. God knows who told them." She jabbed her finger towards the empath. "But you tell anyone I told you, and I am going to gut _you_ and leave you for the cops to find."

"You'll try." Raven smiled slightly. "Don't worry; I'll treat you as an anonymous source. I don't think going back to the tower and telling my team mates I was out with you when you gave me some information will go down well. Not that you've given me much."

"How are you and the team?" Jinx asked as she started walking.

"…What?"

She glanced back. "Come on; I know three days ago you rang me because something had gone off between you and your team mates. Did you decide to come out tonight because you're still pissed off or..?"

"I don't believe my relationship with my team mates concerns you."

"So you're still pissed at them."

"I – no! That's not what I said. We are _fine_. The disappearances and recent murders has taken any attention away from behaviour-"

"You mean strangling me?"

"-and meeting up with you tonight had nothing to do with any argument I may or may not have had with any team mate."

"Oh really? So you _did_ like that kiss, huh?" She grinned.

Raven came to a stop, looking like she'd been slapped. "No! I mean, I'm not… I don't…"

"Like girls?" Jinx asked, amused. "If you're unsure on that, I don't mind playing 'test subject'." She stepped closer, invading Raven's personal space. "I think it could be very… fun."

Raven jerked back as something exploded nearby, Jinx able to see the brilliant shade of red the empath's cheeks had turned despite how dark it was.

"You came here tonight despite me tellin' you previously it would be considered a date. If you really weren't interested, you wouldn't have shown up." Jinx smiled. "Maybe you don't usually bat for the same team, but you sure as hell are curious about it. I mean you even made the effort to dress nicer this time. You're either lying to yourself – and not doing a very good job at it – or you're lying to me about being cool with your teammates."

"Everything is fine between me and my team." Raven muttered, her cheeks still red. "The atmosphere is just a little tense in the tower at the moment thanks to the case. I needed to get out."

"You didn't need to meet up with me to do that, Rae."

"My name is _Raven_."

"You need to loosen up. Well, since we went out to eat last time, I thought we'd do a movie this time, and since I was the one who asked you out, I get to make the plans."

"Somehow I doubt the staff at the cinema are going to let you in. And if they do it's because the cops are on their way."

"Which is why we're going to the Drive-Thru just out of town." Jinx replied as she started walking again. "It's a late showing, and I know a perfect spot where the fence's started to rot up on a bit of a hill that has a great view."

"But that's-"

"I'd bet my life savings over half the kids at the local school have done it at least once." Jinx interrupted. "If you get caught the worst the cops do is send you home. Littering is more of a serious offence."

"…what showing?"

"Frankenstein. One of the old black and whites. I get the feeling you're a horror film kinda girl, and that's a classic."

"I don't actually watch many films… but I've read the book."

"You'll like the film."

* * *

"It's kinda crappy." Jinx muttered as she pulled a small, portable radio out of her bag, "But that's what you get for cheating and not paying entry fee." Jinx skipped her way through several radio stations before glancing up at Raven. "You gonna sit down or what?" When Raven didn't move she grinned and patted her knees. "If you're worried about getting muddy, you're welcome to sit on me."

Raven muttered something under her breath but sat down before looking around them. They weren't the only two who'd decided to skip paying, and a large group of eight teenagers were messing with an ancient looking boom-box, and a couple to their right – who seemed to be having more success with their portable radio – we laying out a blanket to sit on.

"Don't they check up here?" Raven frowned.

"Sometimes." Jinx shrugged. "I get run off maybe four out of ten times?" She glanced up from the radio, and nodded towards the large group sat a few feet away. "They're regulars, though I haven't seen the other two before. I think they'd make more of a fuss if those guys didn't use the place's snack shop. They probably spend more on their food than it costs to get into the place."

"Isn't that… defeating the point?"

Jinx laughed slightly, going back to the radio. "Yup. Although they're just a group of high school kids, and this is the closest they've come to breaking the law. I think they do it for the 'thrill', and not because they're short on cash."

"…Okay."

"You're telling me you've never done anything like this before? Even before you were a titan?"

"No, I haven't."

Jinx looked up from the small radio again to stare at the girl. "You have got to be joking."

Raven shrugged. "Before I was a titan, I didn't live here, and things are slightly different were I was raised."

"You really are somethin' else. So, where were you raised?"

"Not here." Raven answered, turning to watch the adverts on the large screen opposite them.

"Yeah, I got that. I mean are you just from a different state, or what?"

"… Dimension."

"Oh, that's – wait what?" Jinx did a double take. "_Dimension_? What the fuck? Do you mean like, 2D and 3D or..?"

"No!" She gave the meta human a sharp, exasperated look. "I mean like… I'm not sure I know how to explain this. Surely you've heard of alternate dimensions?"

"Yeah."

"My home dimension is like that, only it isn't an alternate reality of earth."

"You mean you have to like, cause a rip in the fabric of this dimension to get there?"

"Well that's one way, but it would be rather excessive."

"Yeah, because coming from another dimension isn't excessive. You know, the more we talk the weirder you get."

"Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"

Jinx grinned and looked down at the radio again, giving it a shake. "You should take it however you want to." She skipped through three channels before turning the volume up and glancing at the large screen opposite them, checking the two objects were in sync. "Got it. Now we just have to wait for the stupid adverts to finish."

A few minutes passed in silence before Raven tugged her jacket closer around her and muttered, "If I'd have known we were going to be sat outside, I would have brought a coat."

"You know, knees are good for sharing body heat too." She patted the grass next to her. "Or here would do just fine too."

Raven rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, trying to warm up slightly. "I'm fine, thanks."

"So, is it warmer in this dimension of yours?"

The empath shrugged slightly. "About as warm as it is here on a good day, though the temperature's more fixed, and there's little wind. The dimension's rather small, so doesn't produce a lot of changes in the weather."

"So do alternate dimensions actually exist?"

"I'm not sure how it works, whether there is an alternate dimension for every possibility, but yes they do."

"Have you seen one of these alternate dimensions?"

"No. Very, very few people can cross into alternate dimensions, and those that can – those that were born with the talent – tend to exist in one reality to keep the balance. I can travel through dimensions quiet easily though it is tiring. I couldn't cross into an alternate dimension without a great deal of help, though my natural talent would make it easier for me to cross than it would someone like you."

"I don't get it. Why would it be harder? What's the difference?"

"… Think of it like TV. One channel has many programs. The channel is the alternate dimension and the programs are just general dimensions. The programs are all linked together by a channel, but two different channels rarely have anything to do with each other."

"What about Sky +"

"I did say 'rarely', not 'never'."

"So you travel through dimensions because they're all linked together by… whatever alternative reality you're in, but you can't travel through alternate dimensions because they don't have that link?"

"Basically, yes." Raven nodded.

"Basically? I wouldn't call that basic. So why are you here? Why aren't you in the dimension you come from?"

"It's a long story." She brought the large screen to Jinx's attention. "And the film's just started."

* * *

Jinx looked up as the large group near them suddenly shot to their feet, swearing as she scrambled to her own feet and glanced down the hill, quickly spotting the flashlight coming towards them.

"Time to go." Jinx offered Raven her hand. She would have been surprised the titan actually took the offered had, had she not been so focused on the advancing beam of light. There would be a right time to let the public know what their hero was doing behind their backs, but now was not that time.

Leaving the radio on the grass, she pulled Raven to her feet and dragged her towards the chain link fence, holding up the bottom of the weak spot in the fence and motioning for Raven to duck underneath. The empath did without comment and the thief quickly followed, taking hold of Raven's had before breaking into a run towards the road, pulling Raven with her.

"Guess the security's on shift tonight." Raven commented, and Jinx laughed slightly.

"They would be, wouldn't they? Guess I should have expected it." She slowed to a walk as her feet hit the tarmac and looked behind them. The large group wasn't far behind, and were all laughing as they ran past, but the other couple that had been sat up there weren't in sight. Jinx grinned and started to walk slightly faster. "Looks like those two weren't quick enough. Come on, we should probably disappear before the cops show up. It'll be the talk down at the station if someone sees you with me."

"Would you like me to teleport us back to Central Park?" Raven asked.

Jinx glanced up at the sky, making sure it didn't look like it was going to rain before shaking her head. "Let's walk. We'll just keep off the road."

She waited for the empath's consent before dragging her across the road and onto the rough grass, walking several meters before changing direction back towards Jump City.

Noticing Raven still hadn't dropped her hand, Jinx squeezed it lightly to gain her attention before offering the empath a smile and asking, "So what _is_ your home dimension like?"

She shrugged before answering. "Small."

"Define small."

"Well there isn't much in the dimension. There's the City of Azarath, then perhaps a thousand acres of land to the north side, most of which is farmland. That's it."

"That's it?" Jinx repeated, frowning, and Raven nodded.

"Ignoring pocket dimensions, I think it's one of the smallest out there."

"So then what about the sun and stuff, for light? I mean if the dimension's that small…"

"Oh, I'm not saying you can only walk so far before encountering some… wall making the end of the dimension. Azarath is known by the locals as the Floating City. The city's on a giant, floating rock, as ridiculous as that sounds. No one knows how far out or how far down the dimension goes."

Jinx looked at the titan. "You mean being able to fly isn't the norm there?"

"I tell you everything is built on some detached piece of land, and you ask whether or not people there can fly?" Raven asked, amused.

"Well, I'm trying to ignore the fact that rocks shouldn't float unaided." She shrugged, smiling.

"No, it isn't. In fact I believe during the time I was there, I was the only resident with the ability to fly. Even if it was, the distance is just too great to fly so far without rest. The majority of the population are descendents from this dimension's earth, although we have a few scholars come from other places every now and then."

"So you're a meta human?"

"No."

"…alien?"

"No."

"…Sorceress?"

"Some would call me that, and many citizens of Azarath practice the arcane arts, but technically? No."

"Any chance you'd tell me what you are?" The thief asked.

"No." Raven smiled slightly. "That would be giving you too much information."

"Would you tell me if I said I wasn't fishing for info, but was genuinely interested?"

"Interested or not, it's information you might be able to blackmail me with at some point."

"That wasn't a 'no'."

"It wasn't a 'yes' either." Jinx grinned. "Which means there's a chance I might be able to get it out of you."

"And an even larger chance that you won't."

Jinx looked down at their hands, thinking, before asking, "Blackmail material, huh? Do the titans know what you are?"

"They do."

"So how is it blackmail worthy?" She frowned

"I'm not telling you how to blackmail me." Raven returned the frown.

"You don't want people to know what you are? Why not? Most people accept Starfire's an alien. Or maybe it's something to do with a past family figure? Yeah, I could really see in the media eating up that one, not that they don't like to pick on you anyway or anything."

"You're not going to get anywhere by guessing you know. I'd give up if I were you. The public don't need to know who or what I am outside what they've been given. And neither do you."

"You know, the first date is when you're meant to get to know each other a little better."

"This isn't-"

"I told you if you came tonight it would be considered a date. Anyway you've told me where you're from, and that's a good start, but I think we can do a little better than that, don't you?"

"Oh, because you've been so eager to part with information."

"You didn't ask." Jinx smiled sweetly.

"Like you'll tell me as easily as that." Raven muttered sceptically.

"Well, apparently unlike you, things like my home town and past can't really be used against me, outside my general crime record. Not that I'd be giving you names of family members or anything."

"Very well. Where are you from?"

"India. One of the south-east provinces not far from Bengal."

"... Your lying." Raven said uncertainly.

"I don't have any reason to lie." Jinx shrugged.

"Just because you moved country doesn't mean the government can't find you on file. Even that small amount of information could help find your citizen file."

"Illegal immigrant, babe. The only files they have on me are for a Jane Doe that calls herself Jinx."

"Your first H.I.V.E file documents your age as twelve." The titan frowned.

"I didn't pull the stunt on my own." She grinned. "But it's nice to know you think so highly of me."

"Well... it seems we both have at least one thing in common." Raven murmured. "If you're telling the truth. Although I made the journey on my own, and I was a few years older."

The thief's eyes widened in disbelief. "Bull shit. No way are you..."

"I have neither a visa for this country, or an American passport - or a passport of any type, and the government only knows me as a titan."

"Any the haven't kicked you out yet?"

"I think they appreciate that I go out of my way to _help_. Besides I doubt they have the magic or technology to send me back to Azarath."

Jinx chuckled. "They might get JL to do it."

"I've been here almost seven years. I think I'm safe."

"I've been here almost eleven years. Came over when I was nine and spent my time pick pocketing since I never registered into a school. That's how the H.I.V.E found me."

"I was thirteen and arrived perhaps two weeks ahead of meeting my team mates." Raven looked at the girl. "Why did you leave?"

"Why did you?" Jinx shot back, satisfied when the empath looked away. "My parents wanted to go, and I had to follow. Not that I'm complaining."

"I can't imagine you doing something just because your _parents_ told you to." Raven smiled slightly.

"I wasn't always Jinx. Even master thieves such as myself start off as kids." She grinned. She started to continue with some about her childhood when she stopped, suddenly watching a boy pick up a small stone and aiming it at her as she hurried past, his friends laughing until the dry stone wall they'd been sat on collapsed suddenly, dumping them on the ground.

"Jinx?"

She blinked and looked at Raven.

"You okay?"

"I've got the attention of a stunning girl. Of course I'm okay." She quickly smiled. "You know, I didn't make my first 'serious' offence until I was nine. At least the kid's Mom tried to turn it into some big thing. Threw a stone at her son who was a few years older then me. It was a lucky shot, or he was real _unlucky_ because it hit him on the head and knocked him out cold." She laughed slightly at the memory. "Man that was a good day."

Jinx's laughter stopped abruptly as her eyes narrowed. "Why am I telling you this?"

Raven shrugged. "Because some things need to be shared. That, and I _was_ asking about why you left. I'm assuming this had something to do with it?"

"I suppose it did. My parents always talked about leaving. As I got older, they became more serious about the idea. A kid like me in a place like that attracts a lot of attention, most of it negative and that bothered them, and after the ordeal with that kid... He'd been at me for a few years, shoving me and tripping me up. Sometimes throwing things at me, the bastard, and my hexes weren't exactly anything amazing back then so I did what any kid does and tried to avoid him. Occasionally things near by would break or something due to my lack of control, and that just made the teasing worse. I threw the stone at him after I overheard him dissing me and my family. It's a shame I didn' have better control over my hexes. Would have buried him under a building. His stupid friends too."

Raven looked at her, shocked. "You don't mean that."

"The hell I don't. I'd do it now, if he showed up. He made my life hell for almost four years."

"Kids do stupid and sometimes cruel things, Jinx. That doesn't mean you should entertain such thoughts."

"_You_ were obviously never picked on."

"Not by children, no. I wasn't allowed to attend school and if I was moving about the city it was with an escort."

"How come?"

"I lived in the Temple of Azar. The monks there decided the teaching of other things, like control over my abilities, was more important than school. Of course I was taught languages, Azarath and Earth history, Azarath and Earth geography, maths, and basic sciences but they came second. I spent a lot of my free time education myself. The Temple has perhaps one of the largest libraries I've ever seen."

"Any I spent my free time as a kid tipping cows and-"

"Doing what?" Raven frowned.

Jinx grinned, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. "It's a country kid game, usually done in groups or at least in pairs, like kids playing chicken here, only instead of standing or laying in the middle of a road until you chicken out, you try and push cows over. Me and my older brother used to do it. Then you have to run like hell before the farmer sees you." Still receiving a look of disbelief from the titan she added, "ask Billy. They do it here too. Of course the cows here aren't 'holy'. I mean out of all the animals, they choose cows? If you some how managed to kill or like, break their leg or something you could get a pretty serious criminal charge if they caught you."

"You have a brother?"

"No, I'm not telling you his name. I don't know where he is at the moment either. We lost contact a long time ago."

"Do you eat beef?" Raven asked out of interest.

Jinx shook her head. "No, though it's just out of habit more than anything else."

"I was on a strictly vegan diet back in Azarath. That didn't really last long once I came to earth, however. "

"All the monks there veggies?"

"Most of the time. There were maybe two big events each year where eating meat was permitted. The people of Azarath are pacifists, to the extent where they frown down upon excessive slaughtering of animals for food, especially when there are plenty of plant alternatives."

"I'm guessing no one there pushed cows over for fun then."

Raven shook her head, laughing slightly. "Of all the things you could have been doing..."

"You mean cooking, learning the hundreds of Hindu gods, learning how to be a perfect bride and the art of henna patterning? Do you even know how _orange_ henna looks on my skin? And lets not forget about school. No thanks. So go on then - why did you leave Azarath?"

"They were... too strict and _confining,_ and like any young teenager, I rebelled, to sum it up. There wasn't any particular even that made my mind up."

"What about your parents?"

Raven's face darkened slightly. "I've... never really had much to do with either parent, whether it was me avoiding them, or them avoiding me, which for a while seemed fairly easy since I lived at the temple."

"They still in Azarath?"

"My mother is."

They made the rest of the way towards the centre of the city in silence, Raven simply enjoying the girl's company while Jinx's brain ran over the information she'd gotten off the empath, wondering if there was a way she could use it to her advantage. Jinx didn't break that silence until they'd reached central park.

"It's a shame we didn't get to watch the end of the movie. You know, I'm pretty sure I have it on tape somewhere..."

"Don't even bother suggesting it." Raven shook her head. "I am not making the mistake of going to your base, and you are not going into Titans Tower."

"Don't you want to know what happens?"

"I've read the book."

"So you said. We'll have to do it another night."

"What is it with you and assuming I'm going to show up again?" Raven asked.

"Didn't you have a good time?" She sounded somewhat put out.

"I didn't... have a _bad_ time, exactly." The titan murmured.

"So we'll do this again. I've got the number for you communicator from when you called me. I'll ring and let you know about organising something at a later date, cause I'm gonna be kinda busy over this next week perhaps with H.I.V.E stuff."

Raven didn't reply, just crossed her arms as she frowned at the pink haired girl. Jinx grinned.

"Lighten up. You look like someone killed your puppy."

"... I'm not saying I'm going to show up again. Or even answer my communicator." Raven warned somewhat weakly.

"Of course not." Jinx smiled, before tugging on Raven's hand, pulling the titan closer to her and kissing her without warning.

Shock kept Raven from pulling back, and the thief took it as an invitation, moving her lips softly against the other girl's, not put off by the fact that Raven didn't respond. The titan was too busy listening to her heart beat which, seemed to be thudding in her ears with the sudden rush of blood to her face, giving her blush colour. Raven stepped back the moment she remembered how to move, and Jinx regarded the titan's face carefully, looking for signs of rejection, relaxing slightly when she saw the titan's eyes drop briefly to watch her lips before she dragged them back up to the girl's cat eyes. Still able to feel the pressure on her lips, and feeling somewhat giddy - the result of a mixture of emotions she wasn't really used to feeling - the titan was contemplating moving for another kiss - one she _would_ be prepared for - when Jinx started walking backwards, offering Raven a half wave.

"I'll call you in a few days." She said before spinning on her heel and setting off, Raven staring after her for a moment before teleporting out of the park.

* * *

**A/N: Cow tipping and Chicken. Pastimes for kids and young teens in the UK. In fact we would occasionally see some news report on the TV about a farmer complaining someone was pushing his cows over xD I'd assume they do it elsewhere too. (I've not done it, having grown up in the city, mind you. That and I have a soft spot for animals. I have played chicken, however.) A fairly long chapter - hopefully it makes up for my current updating speed. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Reviews:**

**Why881992883840002882818839: **_I'm glad you're liking it. Sorry about the typos - I do try to keep an eye out for them, but a mixture of limited time, dyslexia and lack of sleep means I usually miss a few. Thanks for pointing them out though _

**nada129: **_Yus we do. Ahah I don't know about 'poor' Raven. More like lucky Raven :P_

**Shadowruni: **_Ahah I'm glad you think so - after all, that WAS the point of re-writing it. Ahah yeah, on the one hand, it'd be an awesome trick. On the other hand..._

**Dak Hamee: **_Ahah yup. And who else could you see doing that other than Jinx? :P Glad you are _

**Dawsen: **_I'm glad you do!_

**Spikesagitta: **_Ahah the dangerous stuff is the FUN stuff :P Nah, skipping rope's pretty fun too. _

**mttmercado: **_Do keep in mind it's Jinx's original plan to disgrace Raven. If it works out for her, or if she manages to get the titan on their side, it could play out REAL big in her favour. _

**rest for the wicked: **_Glad you did. I like the longer chapters too. Hmm guess we'll just have to wait and find out, no?_

**Knight of the Raven: **_Ahah she is a tease. And your right - smooth at it too. Yeah, I don't think Rae would react too kindly to that. Now about her figure. Coming from what I've seen and experience as a trained fighter, she's not going to have much fat on her, it's all going to be muscle, and you rarely get curves with muscle (and that's just competition fighting/for fun. In order to be able to fight daily against supervillains...). Perhaps her only saving grace is that she isn't really skinny. The animation never really gave her much curves, though the comics were somewhat kinder, but even looking at the comics compared to Starfire? She aint got much. Of course this is just my interpretation of the character, and everyone has their own view of what they should look like/act like._

* * *

"You were out late last night." Robin spoke as the common room doors opened, watching Raven walk through.

Everyone turned to look at the empath and she tried to ignore the guilty feeling that was slowly filling her. It wasn't often the common room could be found full at six in the morning when their hadn't been a call, the exceptions being Christmas morning and when Robin had scheduled a morning training session. Raven decided the universe had purposely tried to put her in the most awkward situation it could.

"I went for a walk." She nodded, barely missing a beat as she moved towards the kitchen, the kettle her goal. "Why? Did you need me? You should have called me on the communicator."

"It wasn't anything urgent. I just wanted to ask - Kyd Wykkyd's portals... do you know how they work?"

Raven stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Robin, her surprise easy to see. "You don't think he's a possible suspect, do you?"

Robin shrugged. "We're just looking at all the possible candidates we know of."

"Well you can cross Kyd off the list. Not only do I struggle to believe he is capable of doing _that_-"

"He tried to kill you with Psimon during all the trouble with the Brotherhood of Evil."

"-I have information on our killer." She finished as though her leader hadn't interrupted, before adding, "Kyd Wykkyd did not attempt to kill me, and neither did Psimon. They sent me to another dimension not knowing I had a way to get back. Psimon gained his powers through a deal he made with my father; he wouldn't dare harm me, something the Brotherhood obviously _wasn't_ aware of."

"So what's the info?" Cyborg asked.

"It isn't much." Raven admitted as she pulled a mug down at random from the cupboard. "But apparently they aren't local, and most of the local criminals are doing their best to stay out of the way of the killer. My source couldn't give me a description or a name."

"And your source is?" Robin inquired with a frown.

"Anonymous."

"And you believe them?"

"I didn't pick up any of the emotions that usually accompany someone who is lying." She answered, putting her mug down and dropping a tea bag in it. "Is this information useful or not?"

"It helps. At least we know we don't have to worry it's one of our local criminals. A description really would have been nice though. You sure they haven't..?"

"They'd received the information second hand themself." Raven shook her head.

"I'll fax the police and let them know we can cross off locals with a previous criminal record for any offences made in Jump." Robin decided, before giving Raven a look that should have belonged on the face of an older brother or father. "I don't like you disappearing at night on your own while this case is still open. If they targeted you-"

Internally she winced - she _hadn't_ been out on her own - but externally her face remained as stoic as ever. "If they decided to go after me, we wouldn't have to worry about the case dragging out. Of course I couldn't guarantee the police would find them alive. I am _much_ more dangerous than anything on the streets of Jump City."

Robin didn't call her bluff, but didn't hide his sceptical look either, and Raven sighed somewhat impatiently.

"Look, Robin, right now the storm cloud of irritation and worry you're giving off is really making the tower an uncomfortable place to linger. I need you to understand that I'll be able to work on the case better _away_ from the tower where I can think. I have a few leads I can follow up - a few more possible sources - and I can look after myself, whether it's against Cinderblock, Trigon or some serial killer. And believe me, I will have no reservations about holding back should this serial killer make the attempt of targeting me."

"You haven't been going around threatening criminals have you?" The boy wonder frowned.

"No. Not that you haven't resorted to it in the past." Raven answered. "People are scared, and scared people talk. They want them gone as much as we do. A serial killer isn't someone you can make deals or alliances with."

"Give us the names of these sources you've found and we can cover it faster."

"They want to remain anonymous for a reason." Raven shook her head. "I believe my... darker nature puts them at comfort. If the mysterious titan has a lot of secrets, she obviously knows how to keep them, or something like that. They're afraid their names will get out and the killer will go after them."

The grabbed the kettle as it started whistling and filled her mug with the boiling water. She hadn't lied - Jinx had expressed how much she _didn't_ want anything to do with the dangerous stranger.

"I say leave it to her." Beast Boy shrugged. "She's found out more than we have, and it's not like anyone's been dying to talk to us about it."

"Agreed. Her logic _does_ make sense. Rae is good at keeping things to herself. Even things she shouldn't." Cyborg nodded.

"I am standing right here." Raven muttered.

"...Fine. Do you know when you're going to get to speak with them?" Robin asked, and Raven shook her head.

"Not yet. We're still working on that."

Starfire suddenly gasped, making everyone jump. "Friends! I have had an idea! What if we went back to the warehouse and the security cameras that had the anomalies and see if Beast Boy can pick up the scent of the killer?"

"Star, you genius." Cyborg beamed at the princess, while the changeling turned a shade paler.

Robin looked at him. "What do you think?"

"I think I _really _don't wanna do it." Beast Boy whined, before saying. "It's been a few days now - if the scent of whoever did this is still there, it'll be _real_ feint. Not to mention I don't know what I'm supposed to smell. But... it's worth a shot. I might pick up someone that seems out of place."

Robin smiled, happy they'd found something they could focus their efforts on. "Good. The area's been blocked off since the body was found so hopefully there shouldn't be too much contamination."

"And we haven't had another body turn up?" Raven asked as she added milk to her tea and stirred, before taking a sip.

"Not yet. It really does make me think we stumbled across the first body before we should have." Robin frowned. "And the police don't even know where to start looking for them."

"I doubt that matters. Keeping ten people hostage without people noticing? There just aren't that many rural, out of the way places in or near Jump for someone to be able pull that off. I've got the feeling we're not going to find them alive even if we found out where they were being kept."

"Cheerful thoughts, Rae." Beast Boy muttered.

"If I acquired a large number of hostages over a short amount of time, what's what I'd do." Raven shrugged. "Unless of course this _is_ a serial killer we're dealing with and part of their profile is that they _need_ to keep their victims alive for a certain amount of time before killing them."

"He wants people to know he's killing otherwise we wouldn't have found that second body like we did, but keeping his hostages alive does seem too... risky. If one escaped or someone heard them it'd be game over."

"You're doing the 'he' thing again." Raven told her leader.

"Sorry. Profiling the killer from his targets and the way he works, it just hints towards him being male. Most of the women are on the short side, but according to the police report they were fairly active individuals. We're looking for either a physically fit and strong woman who could detain one of the victims or more likely a male, again physically fit."

"Remember we're looking for a possible meta." Cyborg reminded him. "We don't know _how_ strong they are - they could be as thin and ropey as Beast Boy and still pull it off."

"Please, but could we not ask the heroes of other cities about this killer? If out own city's villains fear them, that logically means they are not new to the crime circuit, no? Someone has probably encountered or heard of them before."

Robin nodded slowly. "That's definitely a possibility Star. Cyborg, can you call all honorary titans and ask them about it? Maybe the Doom Patrol too. As much as I wouldn't like to involve Mento, as controlling as he can be, they might know something." He looked at Beast Boy to make sure his friend wasn't offended, relieved to find the changeling smiling at him.

"Yeah, he likes to be involved. A little too much. I can call him if you want."

"And you, Robin, should contact Batman or the Justice League." Raven spoke up.

"No, we can figure this out without their-"

"I'm not too keen on asking for their help either." She interrupted, "But they're widespread and have the experience of years we don't."

"They wouldn't just help. They'd take over the case."

"Good. I saw we let 'em." Cyborg muttered. "The less bodies we have to deal with the better."

"They know we managed to deal with Trigon - they're not going to take the case away from us."

"We never told them-"

"I'd gone to the Justice League before going to Jump City. They knew what was going to happen, and they know we defeated Him as a team. If you talked to them more often, you might know that."

"You know the members of the Justice League?" Starfire asked Raven.

"As nothing more than acquittances, although I have spoken to J'onn and Dianna a few times. If you won't contact them, I will." She said, speaking to Robin once more. "We have next to no information on the killer and ten people missing. We need the help."

"Okay, I'll contact them." He submitted grudgingly. "But only if the other Titans, or the Doom Patrol, don't know anything."

Raven nodded, watching Robin as he moved towards the common room doors.

"Morning training is being rescheduled. Get to work on contacting people. Raven, Starfire, I want you both to run some aerial sweeps of the city. Meet back here for nine, and we'll go down to the warehouse."

"Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman?" Cyborg asked as the doors closed behind their leader.

"Both have been able to offer some valuable advice from time to time." Raven shrugged.

"Like?"

"Who else might understand some of the internal conflicts of the daughter of Trigon, than the daughter of Zeus?" Raven asked. "We aren't friends by any definition of the word, but we have talked, and we both share a mutual understanding of each other."

"And Manhunter?"

"Being a telepath himself we have shared and compared a few notes on technique."

"If you had told them about the Trigon, why did they not offer their help?" Starfire frowned, the question obviously having been on her mind since Raven's mention of the intergalactic heroes.

"A certain member did not believe I had contacted them for assistance, and the others took her advice. Not that I blame them. I'm afraid I had gone about it the wrong way - I wasn't aware people from earth didn't always react well to blunt facts. Hence why I avoided informing you until the last minute."

Cyborg laughed. "You can say that again."

* * *

Beast Boy took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for any nasty surprises before he took the form of a blood hound and breathed in through his nose, picking up scents his human nose hadn't been able to smell.

The first scent he picked up was of rubber, fresh enough Beast Boy knew it was from the friction of someone's shoes on the asphalt - cops doing their rounds of the crime site perhaps. With the wind came the scent of lavender, tea, parchment and a dark and sticky undernote that made the skin of his back crawl with unease. Raven. He'd know what scent anywhere. It was just as distinctive as the warm scent that came from Starfire- something close to sandalwood and orange, mixed with the smell of some fruity shampoo the alien had used that morning. Pushing that aside, he focused instead on the tangy scent of oil. Cyborg always smelt faintly of the stuff, but this was just too strong to be all Cyborg. Not that oil was particularly useful to them. The docks were bound to stink of the stuff, along with every boat packed into storage nearby. Robin's hair gel was easy to smell, even under the stink of oil, harsh enough that it almost covered up any other smell he would have gotten from the boy wonder.

He was tempted to tell them to all move back a bit, but gritted his teeth instead, pushing his nose closer to the floor and trying again, this time picking up the putrid scent of rot lingering under everything else, a mixture of the rubbish in the nearby dumpsters, the old water-logged wood that made up the docks and more than likely the residue from the body that'd been found nearby. Clogging and bitter, he almost missed the subtle but burning scent of alcohol. He was pretty confidant it had come from a group of teenagers, or perhaps a homeless man who'd spent a night in the alley, but he filed the scent away anyway, not wanting to take any chances. He took a few steps forward and sniffed the ground again, this time picking up the scent of someone's deodorant, or cologne, growling with frustration. Despite the fact the smell wasn't specific enough for them to use, a hundred other people possibly using the same brand, there was nothing to say the scent hadn't come from one of the police officers that had made their way through the alley since it had become a scene of a crime.

"Beast Boy?"

The changeling ignored Robin as he took another deep breath through his nose, this time picking up a dull tang that smelt suspiciously like blood. Shifting back into his human form, he looked at his team mates, his hope easy to read.

"I think I got something."

* * *

**Apologies for the delayed update, and apologies for my other ongoing stories also. Life is just... very hectic for me at the moment, and trying to find the time to write is hard. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! (as short as it was)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Reviews:**

**Dak Hamee: **Hmmm interesting I can't wait to see where this goes hehe

_Glad you're enjoying it._

**Discb: **Thanks for the update

_Thank YOU for reading it!_

**nada129: **I'm glad to see another update from u on this story I loved it and I hope u update soon plus I hope ur life calms down for u :)

_Glad you did. Life doesn't seem to want to calm down any time soon, but at least I'm still finding time for my writing._

**Spikesagitta: **As usual Robin has double standard. He's perfectly fine asking Beast Boy to seek help from his family, even though he's doesn't get along well.

_If you know the comics, Robin's reluctance to get into contact with Batman to start with might be clearer to you, but your right – He's got good advice, he should just learn to follow it himself._

**Stormplains: **Psh. Homework. I saw this morning another author of my had updated and I was PYSCHED and then I checked out all my favorites and I was WHERE DO I START?! Congrats, you won. I'm sittin on the edge of my seat for this one. Like I've said before, the serial killer idea is fresh, new, and absolutely riveting (ignore spelling). Trying to decide if I want to see any of the Honorary Titans (well of course), Doom Patrol (meh), or Justice League (perhaps...), but if any of them are brought in that just means things go horribly, horribly wrong.  
And what better time than Friday the 13th?  
Keep writing strong.  
(Sorry I didn't review the last time, I think I was in the middle of a review then had to leave and forgot to come back, oh well.)

_I did? YAY! Glad you like the basic concept of it. Hope you like the development of the story just as much! (Meh, don't worry about that – I'm known for doing it too)_

**Knight of the Raven: **"Rae is good at keeping things to herself. Even things she shouldn't."  
"I am standing right here."  
I loved this part, haha. Robin's cheap hair gel being smelly enough to almost overdose Beast Boy and Raven deciding "the universe had purposely tried to put her in the most awkward situation it could" as well, but not as much.  
Speaking of smells, I liked how you described Raven's smell as "a dark and sticky undernote that made the skin of [Beast Boy's] back crawl with unease." Raven's beyong foreign or alien; she's *unnatural*.  
I was a little surprised she mentioned Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter's names in front of the Titans, given she's good with secrets, but then again I don't know who knows those two's names and who doesn't.  
I liked the part about Mento and how Robin "looked at Beast Boy to make sure his friend wasn't offended." Good use of 'themself' too. And good logic with Raven's sources and her "darker nature."  
I spotted a few typos; "The (She) grabbed the kettle as it started whistling and filled her mug with the boiling water," ""If I acquired a large number of hostages over a short amount of time, what's (that's) what I'd do" and "as nothing more than acquittances (acquaintances)."

_Glad you liked those particular snippits. As for the names, I'm going by the comic standards. In which they pretty much all know each other's aliases. I always thought it was odd in the animation how they could go the equivalent of 5 years and only know each other by their superhero names (excluding Gar, and perhaps Kori. I'm sure her real name was mentioned during that 'Betrothed' episode). Anyway, thanks for the extended review!_

* * *

"… And then I was like, 'seriously'?" Jinx pulled a face and picked up her fork. "But what can you do? Guys are gross."

"Agreed." Raven muttered, taking a small bite from her plate of waffles. "You wouldn't believe half of the things Cyborg and Beast Boy do."

"Try me."

"Stankball."

"Huh?"

"It's a 'sport' they invented. The rules are very similar to dodge ball or so I've been told, only aiming for the face gets you extra points, and the 'ball' is either made up of dirty laundry, or an old soccer ball that's been left to rot in the mud outside for a substantial time." Raven explained, grimacing.

"Okay, that is gross." She stabbed at her own plate of waffles as she spoke. "How's the murder case coming along? Find anything yet?"

"Not really." The titan answered unhappily. "Beast Boy spent four hours as a blood hound going over one of the crime scenes and he still didn't have anything specific enough to track the killer with. Are you sure you can't give us a name or description?"

"Perhaps." Jinx smiled coyly as Raven regarded her hopefully. "But it'll cost you."

"Cost me?"

She put her fork down and put her arms on the table, leaning forward slightly. "Mhmm."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Cost me what?"

"That would depend on how much information you want. Don't worry; I'll make sure you enjoy it."

The empath's suspicious stare contorted into something of a glare as she clicked onto what the metahuman was hinting at. "This isn't the time for you to play some… game. Do you or do you not have any information on the murders."

Jinx shook her head as she leaned back and went back to her waffles, taking a mouthful before mumbling around it, "I tolb yew, whe all twyim to hmeep our dbistamce."

Raven arched her brow. "Very articulate."

Jinx shrugged, and swallowed the mouthful of waffle before repeating. "We're tryin' to keep our distance."

"Someone _must_ have seen something."

"If they have, they aint talkin', and I don't blame them." She ate another mouthful, this time taking the time to swallow before changing the subject. "This is a pretty nice place. Food's good."

"Cyborg thinks so." Raven shrugged. "And it's open late, not that it's exactly an issue anymore." She tugged on her hair, running a few strands through her fingers. The diner wasn't full, but it was busy, and seeing as it was only 6pm Raven had used a little magic to turn her violet hair black. So far she'd gone unrecognised.

"So, it's not one of your favourite places?" Jinx watched the empath shake her head. "So how about you show me one? Once we're done here."

She frowned at the thief. "Why?"

"Well, for starters it's a good way to get to know someone – get an idea on what kinda things they like."

"Titans Tower."

"Homes don't count." Jinx shook her head.

"I… don't really have a favourite place." Raven replied somewhat uncomfortably. "Growing attached to the city had never really been a good idea, and old habits die hard."

"What's that supposed to mean? You plannin' on leaving or something?"

"No. It… doesn't matter." Raven shook her head.

"I know. I 'wouldn't understand'." Jinx rolled her eyes. "Do you even know how _irritating_ it is when you say that?"

"You could always stop asking questions."

She grinned. "Hah! Not gonna happen." Raven did reply, just stared at her plate of food, so Jinx continued talking. "Okay. So let's say you're telling the truth and you _don't _have a favourite place – not that I believe you – how about your least favourite place?"

"Why on earth would you want to see that?"

"Why not? It might not be as informative as seeing your favourite place, but it's still a way for me to get to know you a little better."

"I doubt that." The empath muttered, and Jinx shrugged.

"You don't have to explain it to me. I just wanna see it."

"Why?"

"Why not?" The thief retorted, before sighing impatiently, "I liked what I saw so I asked you out, and maybe I wanna get to know you better; to know you as more than just the Teen Titan with a scary attitude who can kick some serious ass. There something wrong with that?"

"You had no indication I would call the number you gave me." Raven stated.

"I know. I was more than expecting you to try and track it."

"So why did you give it to me?"

"Because what's the point of living if you aren't going to take a few risks? An' sometimes it pays off. You're taking a huge risk right now, sitting with me in a public place. Are you regretting it?"

"…No."

"And I don't regret giving you my number." Jinx smiled.

* * *

Raven waited for Jinx to join her on top of the twenty story building, the thief panting lightly as she appeared atop the fire escape.

"Thanks for waiting."

The empath shrugged. "I offered you my help, and you declined."

"Your 'help' involved that freaky dark energy of yours. Of _course_ I said no. Still you could have been civilised and climbed the fire escape with me." She straightened out her top and fixed her hair, looking at the view they got from the roof. "So, how much further we got to go?"

"We're here." Raven answered, to Jinx's confusion.

"Huh?"

"You wanted to see my least favourite place."

"Are we talking about this particular roof or..?"

The empath rolled her eyes at her companion. "There is a particular building – not the one we're standing on – but this is as close as I'm willing to get."

"Which building?" Jinx followed the Titan's hand as she pointed towards a structure with several large pillars supporting a overhanging roof. She studied it a moment, before asking, "You do know this entire block is up for demolition?"

"It's been up for demolition for years. The plans will never go ahead."

"What makes you say that?"

Raven shrugged, otherwise didn't answer the thief, her eyes remaining fixed on the city's old library.

"So why this place? Out of everywhere in Jump City, why is an empty building your least favourite place?"

"I wouldn't say the building is _empty_ exactly. Anyway, you said no explanation was necessary."

"Yeah, but I was kinda expecting it to be something obvious, like a certain shop. The Disney Store or something."

"I don't hate Disney." Raven smiled slightly, before looking away from the building and giving the thief a threatening look. "Of course you understand I do have appearances to keep up."

Jinx grinned. "Don't worry; your secret's safe with me. But why this place?"

The hint of amusement faded from Raven's face and was replaced by something much more serious. Jinx could tell the empath was pulling back into the shell she always kept so tightly closed. "Something bad happened there. Something I couldn't stop, and that's all you need to know."

Something made Jinx grab for the titan's hand, surprising herself as much as she surprised Raven. "Even superheroes can't save everyone."

Raven suddenly tried to take back her hand, resorting to struggling when the meta human tightened her grip. "You don't understand." Her eyes dropped to the roof they were standing on when she realised Jinx wasn't going to let go.

"Obviously, since you haven't even _hinted_ at what happened." The empath didn't reply, so Jinx asked, "wanna know what place I hate the most? It's kinda more obvious than yours is." Receiving nothing but silence, she continued. "H.I.V.E Academy. Mostly because Brother Blood mind fucked all of us. I don't care who's running the place, that is one thing I'll _never_ let my team get sucked into again."

"… That's understandable." Raven eventually murmured. "I think a lot of those who were students at the time would agree with you."

"Don't take me wrong; I can take all the verbal and physical shit you can throw at me, but when someone starts messing with your mind… that's just a whole new level of wrong." Jinx looked at the titan, giving the girl's hand a comforting squeeze. "So care to share what's so bad about this place?"

Raven took her time answering, wanting to tell Jinx what had happened, but knowing it was important she worded it right. "… What happened here… it was perhaps both the best and worst day of my life so far. The day I let my teammates and the world down. But it was also the day I defeated… something that had been haunting me from the day of my birth. Despite this, the 'bad' side of it still outweighs what good came from it, and it's twenty four hours I wish I could forget, or wish that had never happened."

"The day you let the world down? I dunno, I'm pretty sure I would have remembered something to that scale." Jinx shrugged, trying to cheer her up.

"And that's half the problem. Something that… horrendous happened and only a handful of people remember it. It's just… _wrong."_

"What could you of all people possibly do that was so bad?"

"I gave up." Raven answered without pause, "I gave up on my team. On myself. I know now if I'd been persistent enough it might never have happened and-"

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Being able to look back and pick out everything you could have done differently. I'm sure you acted as best as you could during the moment, and who cares past that? I mean, does your team give you grief about it?"

"No, but I…" Raven trailed off as a shadow below them caught her attention, her sharp eyes following it as it hurried down one of the deserted side streets.

"But you..?"

"Shush. Someone's down there." The empath quickly snapped.

Jinx glanced down at the streets below her, dismissing the information with a wave of her hand. "So? It's a free country."

"You don't understand. About a year after what happened here, I set up some wards to keep people out. Nothing dangerous, just something to make people feel incredibly uncomfortable if they pass through. No-one should be down there."

"You… what? Why the hell would you-"

"There are some things that are best left undisturbed. I didn't want anyone accidently triggering something." The shadow slipped out of view behind an old shop, and Raven waited for it to re-appear the other side, frowning when it didn't.

"Okay… where the fuck did it go?" Jinx asked nervously, her eyes trained on the same spot.

"I'm not sure. I'm going to take a closer look. Just in case. Maybe we'll get lucky, and this is the killer we're looking for."

Raven started to move forward and Jinx quickly moved her grip from the empath's hand to her arm, halting her. "Or how about we ignore it and pretend we never saw it so it doesn't haunt our asses for the next thirty years."

"You're superstitious?" Raven asked, glancing back in surprise.

"I'm walking bad luck – of course I am. Raven, it was a _shadow_. Look around you; it's getting late, and we're standing on the closest light source. How the fuck do you want to explain that?" Her pink cat eyes followed the side street back. "There isn't enough light to make a shadow like that."

"We aren't expecting our killer to be a clean-cut human either." Something moved out the corner of her eye, and Raven turned her head in time to see something pass through the doorway of one of the old buildings. "There."

"I got a real bad feeling about this." Jinx said unhappily as she watched Raven pull out her titan communicator.

Flipping the yellow and black device open, she used the bottom touch screen to select the open channel, connecting her to all four other communicators. "Raven calling everyone. I've encountered a suspicious character that just entered an empty building near my location. Requesting permission to engage."

There was a moment of static before Robin's voice could be heard. "Stand down. We'll be at your location shortly. Only pursue if the target leaves the building. Robin out."

Raven closed her communicator and pocketed it. "Now would probably be a great time to disappear."

* * *

**Apologies for the short chapter. Hopefully the next one will be longer.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Reviews:**

**DragoLord19D: **_Hope the updates aren't coming too slowly for you. The move was good. Getting used to aussie, not too sure what I think about the constant high temperatures though._

**nada129: **_Good :) it's nice to hear that. Will do, and I had a pretty fantastic Christmas thanks (spend the day swimming with dolphins) Hope you had a great Christmas too!_

**rest for the wicked: **_Glad to hear it. It is a pretty good reason to celebrate in my book too :P _

**discb: **_Ahah I personally love Disney. The classics anyway. Hate anything they've in the past 10 years that wasn't an animation. HSM for example._

**Mttmercado: **_Hmmm. I think they both might be heading for trouble._

**flshgordon003: **_Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long._

**Spikesagitta: **_Ahah I personally like cliff hangers… so long as I'm writing them and not reading them xD _

**Stormplains: **_Good :) Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long for the update. _

**Dak Hamee: **_Hmmm… who knows :P_

**Echo of an Idiot: **_Ahah that's alright. Yeah the move was alright. Haven't gotten used to the heat yet._

**TyrionGreywind:** _Yeah, looking back I always think "Did I really write that? Did I really think it was good enough to ever see the light of day?" Therefore I'm GLAD you don't remember much. I'm glad to hear it HAS improved!_

**Guest:** Normally I root for Raven/Jinx in your stories, but this time I can't quite bring myself to. The line Bros before Hoes keeps echoing through my head. The titans in this are your bros Raven, and this Jinx is just a manipulative ho.  
On the other hand I am enjoying reading it, and am very glad that you are rewriting it. I tried reading the first version and decided to stop and return to your more current works. Kudos on improving your writing so much though!

_Ahah yeah, I think bros before hoes should sum up how Raven should treat Jinx this time. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and slightly horrified to hear your tried to read the old version because it is very, very crap. Ahah thanks. It's taken two years of solid writing, and there's still so much more to improve! _

**mega fan 555**:I've read some of your other works and I'm incredibly impressed with this story as much as I am with the others. Can't wait for the next chapter

_Thanks :) And glad you're enjoying! Hopefully the wait wasn't too long. _

* * *

_Raven closed her communicator and pocketed it. "Now would probably be a great time to disappear." _

Leaving before Jinx had time to reply, Raven was careful to stay close to the roofs of the buildings, keeping her distance from the shadow to decrease the likelihood of her being spotted by the individual. Unable to catch a glimpse of their face, the stranger managing to stick within the shadows of the buildings, Raven turned to her empathy instead, frowning when she couldn't feel any emotions coming from the figure, almost as though she were being blocked out. Her eyes narrowed with worry, noting optimistically that it was at least one more thing to go by in their search to identify the individual. If this was him. Carefully, she tried to close the distance between them to get a better glimpse of who she was following, so focused on the figure that she didn't see the old building in front of them until it was almost upon them. Coming to a stop, Raven watched the shadow disappear into the door of the building.

Levitating back a few inches she studied the front of the building. The old, weathered and unreadable sign stuck to the front of the building told her it had once been a shop of some sort, the lack of floors on the building ruling out the possibility of it being a hotel. She eyed the door, her brain working overtime. She couldn't afford to lose him, not if it was their murderer, yet she was concerned by the abilities the figure had displayed in the short time she'd been following. It was a rare occurrence when Raven couldn't pick up an essence of what an individual was feeling, one of the exceptions being the Justice League's telepath, Martian Manhunter. The fact that they'd disappeared into the door concerned her too, and she couldn't help but think of Jinx's explanation for the shadow's figure. It wasn't like she could _ignore_ the possibility of it being something 'supernatural' – her own existence, and especially the ghostly figures that haunted one of the passages under the old library, proved Jinx's suggestion wasn't all that fanciful.

Within seconds she had landed on the ground, her footsteps soundless as she made her way towards the door. She grabbed the handle then stopped, slowly pulling her hand away before quietly muttering her mantra. Dark energy attached itself to the door, starting off as a small, barely visible dot and growing until it covered the width of the door. She stepped through, the black receding to reveal a barely lit room filled with ceiling high shelves. Raven noted the only reason she could see so well in the fading light was due to the nature of her eyesight, thanks to her demonic heritage. Looking around, she toyed with the idea of going back outside and watching from the air, before shaking her head at herself, walking slowly forward as she tried not to make any noise, listening for the tell-tale sounds that someone was in the building with her; footsteps or fabric moving, even breathing, but it was eerily silent.

Raven jumped as something crashed to the floor, the noise echoing in the silence. She scanned the floor around herself, checking it wasn't something she'd managed to knock over without realising but came up empty. Something else hit the floor, and she turned to face the rough direction the sound had come from, getting an eyeful of shelves. Fighting the feeling that told her she was dangerously close to being trapped, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and closed her hand around her communicator, her fingers finding the three buttons that needed to be pressed simultaneously to set off the distress signal. She pushed them, hoping it would encourage her teammates to arrive quicker. Letting go of her communicator, she started moving forward again, carefully making her way down the aisle opposite the door.

"Show yourself!" Raven spoke, managing to sound bored despite the storm of worry and adrenaline chewing away at her concentration.

Someone laughed, and Raven faltered for a moment, put off by the sound.

"I'm a member of the Teen Titans, helping the police with a murder case. If you'd present yourself to me and answer a few questions… I'd like to inform you you're also trespassing on private property. Be cooperative, and I might let it slide."

The individual laughed again, obviously amused by Raven's offer, and this time she teleported towards the sound, reappearing moments later in the air behind the dark figure, her boot on a crash course with the person's head. If it wasn't their murderer, she figured she could apologize late, not wanting to take any chances. Her foot reached its target but met no resistance, Raven too shocked to halt her fall as she crashed into the floor.

Slightly dazed and confused, she didn't react as the figure moved to stand in front of her. Cold fingers grabbed her violet hair, yanking up hard, forcing Raven to her feet. She kicked out without looking, but once again her foot found no resistance, her right hand failing to find the person's wrist that she tried to grab in an attempt to lessen the pressure on her scalp. Her eyes searched for the man's face – definitely a man, judging from the pitch of the laugh she'd heard moments before – as she fought against the panic slowly bubbling inside her, finding nothing but a blank canvas of shadow. He laughed once more and Raven aimed a right-hook at his face, this time able to watch as her fist travelled through him as though he wasn't there. A fist connected with her stomach and she tried to hide her pain as she struggled to draw in a breath, winded, her brain screaming at her.

_Why can't I touch him?!_

The pressure on her scalp suddenly increased, and Raven found herself airborne. She hit the shelves to her left, the wood snapping under her weight, broken planks falling with her to the floor. Several of those planks started to glow with a black light, covered in dark energy, before they went flying towards the shadow, passing straight through him just as she had.

"Haven't you worked it out yet? You can't touch me." He crouched down in front of the titan and grabbed her chin, making sure she was looking at him. "Even if I can touch you."

Raven's eyes widened as he stood with her as though she weighed nothing before throwing her again. Somewhat more prepared, and over the initial feeling of shock, Raven managed to halt her fall, levitating inches in front of the shelves she should have hit.

"The girls? Where are they? Where are you keeping them?" Raven couldn't see him amusement, but suddenly she could feel it, whatever barrier he'd put up between them having crashed down.

"Girls? Surely you don't mean the ones on the news? Even if I _was_ behind it, why would I tell you when I have such an advantage? When there is still so much that needs to be done?"

Her eyes narrowed. "So it _is_ you."

She could imagine his smile, feel it. The shadow jumped at her, and she tried to avoid him by moving to the left, but he still managed to grab hold of her arm, pulling her down with him. "You know, this might be a _lot_ easier than I'd been anticipating."

This time Raven used her dark energy to try and push him away from her, using a large, flat wall that – like everything else – simply passed through him, connecting with the shelving behind him and knocking it over in a large cloud of dust.

"So stubborn. Believe me when I say you really can't touch me."

Her eyes narrowed, and despite the dangerous position it would leave her body in, she tried the only move she had that had never failed her in all her years of fighting. Muttering her mantra under her breath she moved her conscious into the part of her that was all demonic energy, tugging her soul self out of her body with quite a bit of effort. She moved forward, a black mass as dark as his own, while her body lay unmoving, only kept upright by his grip on her arm. She tried to find something she could grab on to as she entered the shadow, the essence of his soul; what she would usually attack to make a man unconscious, but she couldn't find anything. She tried to grab onto his emotions next, his amusement strong, but it was too loud, leaking through the shield cutting off the majority of her empathic abilities, making her own emotions harder to control.

She was aware of other people arriving – her teammates – and panicked slightly. She needed to tell them he couldn't be touched. She knew they found that out for themselves when she began to feel her teammates' frustration and the slow growth of the shadow's amusement. She tried to use that amusement as an anchor once more, though this time to push away from, out of what could barely be called his body and back into her own.

Pain was the first thing she felt, above her right eyebrow, and as the rest of her senses came back to her, she realised he was laying on the floor at the bottom of the shelves, the shadow apparently having thrown her at some point. She sat up, putting a hand to her brow, wincing at the sharp pain, her hand coming away smeared with crimson. She turned her eyes onto her attacker, and even though she now _knew_ he had no more facial features than her soul self forms did, she could feel him watching her, ignoring Beast Boy as he charged at him in the form of a bull, going straight through him to collide with Cyborg on the other side.

He walked towards Raven at a leisurely pace. She could see Robin behind him, yelling something, but she couldn't hear a word, possibly having gone deaf from shock. The creature reached her and continued past towards the door. She turned to watch him as he disappeared through the door the same as when he had entered the building. She was aware of her teammates moving, possibly going to try and chase after the figure, but Raven stopped them, forcing herself to stand and block their path. The sudden movements made her blood pump from her head wound quicker, and she tried to wipe the steady stream from her face before it reached her eye.

"No." She shook her head. "Let him go." She tried to ignore how she must have looked to them, gripping the shelves for support with wide eyes and blood dripping down the side of her face. "We can't touch him. You'll only get hurt."

Beast Boy and Cyborg rushed forward, the changeling attempting to support her while Cyborg tried to check her scalp wound but she pushed them both away.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked, sounding worried. "We came through the door and you were just dangling from his hold."

"We though…" Beast Boy took a deep breath, clearly shaken. "You were so _still_."

"I'm fine. I'd left my body in an attempt to take him out. When I discovered I couldn't touch him physically, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try and attack him mentally. It just didn't work."

"He threw you aside when he saw us. We had been expecting him to try and use you as a shield." Starfire informed her. "Although it makes sense, now knowing that somehow he avoids our every strike. Is he the killer we have been searching for?"

"I asked him where he was keeping the women. He… didn't own up to having them, but he did ask me why I thought he'd tell me if it was him, and something about there being so much more work to do." Raven answered. "I think it's him."

"Come on, let's get you back to the tower so I can get a proper look at your injury." Cyborg took control, moving to lead her out of the building. "We can talk about what happened after we stop you from bleeding over everything."

* * *

She sat as still as she could while Cyborg dabbed the wound with a cotton pad that had been dipped in disinfectant. Raven knew it was overkill, but no matter how many times she told him she didn't get infections, he still insisted, coming out with the phrase, 'better safe than sorry.'

Beast Boy was the only one why wasn't in the infirmary, having excused himself, saying between the overpowering stench of anti-septic and Raven's blood, he was starting to feel ill himself. No one had questioned him; he'd always avoided spending time in the infirmary, and Raven could remember the first time she'd ever received a deeper than skin wound during a fight. Beast Boy had been certain the empath had a seriously advanced case of blood poisoning from the scent of her blood, despite all the evidence that she _didn't_. It was the first time she through her identity had truly been compromised, ever having only counted on them questioning the physical attributes that they could _see. _She hadn't even considered the idea that Beast Boy's disease tampered senses might pick up on the other things that marked her as being not completely human. Cyborg, as usual, had deflected the changeling's questions away from Raven, mistaking her anxiety for feelings of hurt.

"What happened?" Robin asked. "I told you _not_ to engage with the target."

Raven's eyes found her leader. "He went into the building – we couldn't afford to lose sight of him. Besides, we didn't know if he was our killer. I only meant to question him."

"Raven, you went against direct orders. You shouldn't have been near that part of town any. You _promised_ us you wouldn't go there without the company of someone else."

The empath brushed Cyborg's hand away and stood despite the robotic teen's protests. "You act as though none of us have ever chosen to listen to our own judgement over given orders." She decided not to rise to his second statement. Technically, she hadn't been alone, but she didn't feel like sharing who she _had_ been with.

"You could have been seriously hurt." Robin stressed, following her as she left the infirmary.

"I did what I believed to be the best course of action at the time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to meditate."

"We _need_ to discuss what you found out about your attacker. You said you attempted to disable him with a mental attack. Did you-"

She stopped in the hallway and turned to face him. "Robin, I _don't_ want to talk about it right now."

"We're chasing a serial killer Raven – we have to act upon information when we receive it, not when it suits us."

"You want to know what I found out?" Her anger seemed to rise out of nowhere, but Raven knew it stemmed from the small feeling of fear slowly gnawing away at her. Rage never did like it when Timid managed to find a foothold. "I found out he's not human, and _nothing_ we can do will make even a mark on him. We don't know what he is or how to stop him, and until I can concentrate enough to consult my books without forgetting everything I've read, I need you to back the hell off for _five minutes_! Is that _really_ too much to ask for?"

She turned, not waiting for an answer, and left an almost speechless boy wonder as she sought out her room, closing the door and locking it behind her. Raven's communicator suddenly started buzzing at her, and she tore it from her belt, throwing it across the room. When the ringing didn't stop, she moved to pick it up, not needing to check the caller ID to know it was Jinx. Raven flipped it open but didn't say anything, staring at the blank screen that usually would have held a picture of the titan calling her.

"Raven! You're okay? Was it whoever's been killing those chicks?"

"I'm fine." She answered quietly after a long pause. "I'm… not sure. Didn't give me a direct answer, but I'm pretty certain it's him."

"Him?" Jinx asked, and Raven nodded, forgetting the thief couldn't see her.

"The voice was definitely male. Jinx, I need to go – I've got a lot of work to do and-"

"Yeah, yeah. Just one last thing. Don't you _dare_ run off like that again." Raven was surprised at the hint of hurt she could hear in the girl's voice, unaware that surprise was mirrored in Jinx. "I mean it."

Raven didn't quite know how to respond, and was struggling to think up an adequate response when Jinx hung up, leaving Raven with the dial tone. She stared at her communicator with a growing sense of restlessness, the beginnings of worry mixing in with the fear eating away at her, though she couldn't have said where that feeling of worry had come from, only that Jinx had caused it.

* * *

_**This and chapter 9 both used to be one chapter. That chapter used to be just under 3000 words. They're now both roughly 3000 words and separate chapters in their own right. I knew I was re-writing this for some reason. **_


	11. Chapter 11

**Reviews****:**

**nada129: **Another great chapter from please update soon and keep up the hard work. My Christmas was great I bet swimming with dolphins was awesome makes me wanna learn to swim lol

_Glad you liked it. Good :) Yeah, it is pretty awesome haha. _

**Discb: **Yay, even more text :)  
Sometimes robin it is better to wait.

_Ahah :) Yes, sometimes it is, but you try telling him that!_

**Ayamehanachi: **Hey, I just found this story and fell in love with it. I never was really into the Jynx X Raven pairing, but this fic made me realize that they're really cute together. Chasing a serial killer who can't be attacked physically is also an interesting twist to Teen Titans. Robin is being his usual obsessive self and driving everyone else crazy. I am adding u to my favourite authors list! Please update soon :D

_Well then, I'm glad I managed to put the couple into a more favourable light for you! Thanks for the fave, I hope you continue to enjoy this story and I hope I didn't leave you waiting too long for the next update!_

**Stormplains: **Ahhhh what is going on? That dude is freaky but makes me think a little of Negative Man, just the whole shadow part. I want to see how this continues, and good lck with revamping your other stories as well as settling back in. Keep writing strong.

_Negative man, huh? Well now you mention it… Ahah thanks – I'll need it!_

**Spikesagitta: **Man that's not fair. He can touch her, but Raven can't even touch him.

_It isn't there is it? Stupid shadow._

**Dak Hamee: **Damn that guy is badass, hehe that feeling came from ur heart raven 3 hehe

_Hmm.. he's definitely not good news. I'm sure she'll figure that out soon enough… :P_

**TheAlchemistXXX: **Great story, and better than the original. I do love it

_Good; that's what I like to hear! I would hate to hear my writing _hadn't_ improved._

**Knight of the Raven: ***review not shown due to length* _First of all, thanks for the lengthly review. I'm glad you liked the narration and well, the small character things you liked. I must say, an allergy is usually due to an over-reactive immune system, and not due to infection. No reason why she can't get one and not the other. :) As always, thanks for pointing out typos and giving suggestions to improve my writing :)_

**Deathnoteuser: **I'm glad you updated this. I read the old version as well and it's not as bad as you made it out to be. I read it so that I could have some background information on A Stroke of Bad Luck (which I love by the way). This is turning out really well.

_Not as bad? Man, it sucks! Haha. I'm cringing, knowing you've read it. Anyway, glad you're enjoying!_

* * *

Raven approached the common room, one large stack of books cradled in her arms while another pile followed behind her, supported by a cushion of dark energy. She could hear Beast Boy's voice despite being several feet away from the common room, partly due to the fact that the changeling _always_ spoke louder than necessary, partly because her hearing was above average. She knew if it had been one of the others, all they would have head was a steady din that sounded like Beast Boy.

"I think I found something! I mean, I kinda did a random search based on the dude's appearance, and it came up with something about shadow… beings or somethin'. I mean, going by the description, it sounds about right, but-"

The common room doors opened, Raven saying as she entered, "Shadow Men are very similar to your average ghost – they can be disturbing to encounter, but they are harmless."

"Hmph. Ghosts. I liked it when I could pretend they didn't exist." Cyborg grumbled. "If ghosts are harmless, what the hell were those things that attacked us in the tunnels under the library that time?"

"Wraiths." Raven answered, moving towards the large table sat opposite the kitchen, putting down the two piles of books. "They were the souls of past followers of the Church of Blood, brought back with dark magic and twisted. Now, out of the books I have, these are the most likely to hold information on the … man we encountered today."

"Those?" Beast Boy whined. "But that's… I mean, how many have you got there? Twenty? Couldn't you have narrowed it down any more?"

"Once we get some understanding on what he is, yes. I _know_ for certain he is without a soul, which leads me to believe he may have been created by very dark magic. Perhaps even necromancy." She lifted five books from the top of one of the piles and set them aside. "The details of which you'll find in these."

"But Raven, how can you be sure he is soul-less?" Starfire frowned.

"When I attack a person with my soul-self, that's what I attack to render them unconscious. A gift from my father, it's what a body-less demon must do in order to possess a shell." Raven answered. "But his wasn't there. He was just… empty." She paused, before motioning towards the five books left from the first pile. "Going on his physical attributes, and the fact we can't touch him, we have these."

The changeling eyed the books reproachfully. "I think I'll stick to the interment."

Raven pointed at the second pile. "Those ten books are on Demonology. I've never come across a demon that lacks a soul – as twisted as they are – but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Wait, demons have _souls_?" Cyborg asked, his voice sceptical.

"I have one, don't I?"

"Yeah, but you're half human." He argued, shaking his head. "Mna, that's messed up."

"Everything living has a soul – should have a soul, anyway. There are ways of getting rid of it, but to live without one? It would be better to not live at all, as far as I am concerned."

"And you think we'll be able to find something in these books?" Robin asked.

"I hope."

"And if we don't?"

"I have a few people I can speak with. Some practitioners and some… who would have more knowledge on those three fields than I through personal experience." Raven answered. "It would be off record, of course."

Robin's eyes narrowed as he asked, suspicious, "These are… friends of yours?"

She laughed, a short, surprised sound. "Hardly. I buy books, scrolls, ingredients and information from them. In return they blend in and behave themselves. A considerably good deal, considering who they are."

Robin didn't reply, choosing instead to change the topic. "There's just one thing I can't wrap my head around. He obviously had the upper hand. Why didn't he finish us off there and then? Why did he leave?"

"Either he did not see us as a threat, or he did not want our deaths." Starfire answered. "I would not fear us in his position."

"Something he said… I think he was surprised when I attacked him ad failed to make contact. He… hadn't been expecting it."

"There are ten women missing, two of which have already turned up dead. Don't you think he would have figured out already that he can't be touched?" Cyborg frowned. "Maybe his body isn't the only thing that ain't all there."

"Or it was a comment specific to you, Raven." Robin suggested, looking worried.

"Don't be obtuse, Robin. There is no reason for him to specifically separate me out. He was probably just trying to mess with us, that's all." She grabbed two of the books off the table at random. "Four books each. We should be finished by the end of the week, and hopefully we will have found something."

"Four books?" Beast Boy looked at Raven like she'd lost her mind. "Not everyone can read as fast as you."

Cyborg sighed as he walked over to the table. "Better get started then." He picked up one of the smaller books on demonology, opening up to a random page and scanning the words before reading aloud, "'The average pregnancy lasts no longer than two months.' Damn, that's fast."

"We'd get though the books quicker if you stuck to reading information that appeared relevant." Raven spoke up, her tone sharp. "The development of newborns _isn't_ going to help us identify the creature. I'll be in my room." She quickly turned and left, her teammates watching her go.

"What's wrong with her?" Cyborg asked.

"Remember when she told us of Scath's identity, and her own involvement all those years ago? We asked if we could search her books for a way to help her, and she rejected our offer, leaving us to do it behind her back to find wards for the isolation room?" Starfire asked. "We know nothing about demons, and Raven has just supplied her with the means to learn more. I believe she is worried the more we learn, the more we will see attributes she gained from her father, and the more we will see her as different. That we will focus on these differences, and forget half of her is human."

"We wouldn't-"

"Of course we would not." Starfire nodded, cutting Beast Boy's protests short, "And deep down she must know this, or she would have told us she would look at her books, and deny us when we ask to help her do this. But she is still unsure and uncomfortable with the decision she's made."

The three boys looked at each other, Cyborg reading further down the page, before reading aloud, "'All demons are independent from birth, born completely sentient and fully developed mentally.'" He looked at the door Raven had left though. "Well that explains a lot."

Curiosity overcome them, and Beast Boy and Robin both grabbed a book from the pile on Demonology, Starfire relenting a few minutes later.

* * *

The two books Raven had picked up lay forgotten on the bed next to where the empath say, as she fingered her communicator, the number for the cheap phone Jinx was using displayed on screen, a heavy feeling of anxiety weighing her chest down as she recalled the hurt, abrupt tone the voice had held when she'd called. She couldn't explain or locate the source of her anxiety, other than it had something to do with Jinx, but she knew better than to ignore the feeling. The longer it was there, the more damage it would do to the balance in Nevermore, until it would have an outward effect on her powers. She looked up at her door as though any of her teammates might storm into her room at that given moment, despite being able to feel them all still in the common room.

She pressed dial, holding her breath as she waited for Jinx to pick up.

"Well, I wasn't expecting a call from you."

Raven let her breath out at the sound of Jinx's voice, before asking quietly. "…Can we meet up? Just for an hour or so."

There was a pause before the meta-human answered. "I suppose. Meet in the park?"

Raven nodded before remembering Jinx couldn't see her. "Okay."

Jinx hung up and Raven quickly closed her communicator, dropping it beside the books as she rushed over to her wardrobe, grabbing a pair of grey jeans and a black, long sleeved top to replace her leotard and cloak, changing and slipping her communicator into her pocket. She checked the time on her clock, the hands reading quarter to eleven. She had told her teammates she would be in her room if she was needed, but she knew without doubt they wouldn't see long after twelve before Robin would send everyone to bed and get Cyborg to lock up the tower. She also knew that while Robin would remain awake for at least another three hours, trying to find information on the Shadow, he wouldn't disturb her. No one would notice her absence.

Raven waited impatiently under the same tree they'd met under the first time, her eyes seeing nothing but the path Jinx usually came from. Five, ten minutes passed before Raven spotted the thief, dressed in her usual H.I.V.E outfit. She was able to both feel and see on her face an undercurrent of anger. The empath prepared herself for the rant that was no doubt on it's way when she saw Jinx's expression falter, and felt her anger disappear to be replaced by another emotion.

Reaching Raven, tentative fingers smoothed the skin just below the cut on the titan's brow. "You're hurt."

She hadn't expected to hear concern from the meta-human, and Raven only just managed to stop herself from knocking Jinx's hand away. "It's nothing. I've been hurt worse than this by you." She smiled slightly, but the thief didn't see it.

Raven froze under Jinx's touch as her fingers moved to smooth over the bruise that was beginning to show on her jaw, then over the empath's slightly swollen lips. "What happened?"

"I got thrown around into a few shelves." She shrugged. "The bruising will have come and gone by tomorrow. I'm a quick healer."

"Was it the guy who's been off-ing those women?" Jinx let her hand drop as Raven moved back a step.

"He didn't exactly give me a direct answer, but I think it was." She moved to sit at the base of the tree, Jinx joining her.

"So, why did you call me out?"

"I…" Raven shrugged as words failed her. She didn't want to admit she'd been unable to focus because she was worried she'd upset the thief, but she couldn't think of an excuse to otherwise explain why she'd called Jinx.

"You..?"

"I… understand I may have… upset you earlier tonight." She spoke slowly and quietly. "I'm not sure how I upset you but… I wish to make amends." She kept her eyes on her lap, embarrassment turning her cheeks pink, apologising going against her nature.

"I'm upset because you ignored me. You don't just brush your girlfriend aside when you're on a date. I don't care if you were saving the _world_, the least you could have done was send me off with a proper goodbye. A kiss wouldn't have gone amiss either."

"Jinx I'm not… I mean you're not my girlfriend. I don't-"

"Save it for someone who believes you." Jinx cut her short, shifting to her knees and moving to sit in front of Raven so the empath didn't have a choice but to look at her. She could see the colour in Raven's cheeks despite how dark it was, and it made her feel slightly better. "Do I have to point out how many times we've met up after I _told _you it would count as a date if you turned up? I'll forgive you for your appalling manners though, for a kiss."

When it was clear Jinx meant for Raven to make the first move she shifted uncomfortably and chewed on her lower lip as she tried to catch the thoughts chasing through her head. It's not like they hadn't already kissed, but Jinx had always started it. Raven still had that to cling on to whenever she felt guilty about her evenings out with the super-villain. Her movements were too quick and sudden for Jinx to follow, and the meta-human briefly felt Raven's lips pressed against her cheek before Raven sat back, looking almost as though she hadn't moved at all.

"You call that a kiss?" The thief teased. "Nu-uh. That's not good enough."

"Then you'll just have to stay mad at me." Raven huffed, crossing her arms.

"You were the one who wanted to 'make amends'. Not me." She reminded the titan. Knowing she had her, she started to get to her feet. "Have a nice life."

Raven moved without thinking, her hand grabbing Jinx's shoulder to keep her from leaving as she pressed her lips to the thief's, her movements turning from sudden and harsh to slow and hesitant as her mind caught up with her. The meta-human's hand found Raven's un-bruised cheek as she kissed her back, the empath unaware of the smug smile she was wearing. She slowly crawled forward, gently shoving Raven's legs apart so she could get closer to the titan, her hand moving from the girl's cheek to brush the skin of Raven's neck before moving round and holding the base of Raven's head. She caught the empath's bottom lip with her teeth and gently tugged. Something exploded nearby in response, taking both of the girl by surprise, Raven's cheeks burning with embarrassment as she jerked back, her eyes trying to find the source of the noise; to find anything but the thief.

"Much better." Jinx was smiling. "You're forgiven." She sat back down, grabbing Raven's hand to try and get the girl to look at her when she still seemed way too focused on finding whatever she'd accidently broken. Raven's face was still a bright shade of crimson and she laughed. "You know, looking at me won't kill you." After a long moment, amethyst eyes found pink and, impossibly, her face turned an even darker shade of red. "I don't get it; what are you so embarrassed about?" Jinx laughed again.

"I… didn't mean to break whatever I did." Raven answered quietly.

Jinx waved it aside. "Who cares? It's not like it's anything of value. It was probably just a slab of concrete or something. So, did you catch the bad guy or what?"

"We couldn't touch him." Raven told her, the colour fading off her face as her tone displayed concern and worry. "As I found out shortly after I entered the building."

"What do you mean, you couldn't touch him?"

"I literally couldn't touch him. I tried to attack him, and just went straight through him as though he wasn't there."

Jinx's brow creased with her own feelings of concern, her eyes going to the healing cut on Ravens forehead. It already looked much better than it had a couple of minutes ago. "Well, he was obviously able to touch you." She pointed out and Raven nodded. "So what are you going to do next?"

"Try and figure out what he is – because he certainly isn't human – and hope a solution comes along with the knowledge. Everyone – everything – can be defeated and overcome; we just have to figure out how."

Jinx nodded. "Anyway, before the shadowy… thing interrupted us earlier tonight, you were saying something about some mistake you'd made…"

"No. I am not talking about it." Raven quickly shook her head, frowning. "It was years ago, anyway, and it'll never happen again – I won't let it."

"You know you're just piping my curiosity, right? Come on – I mean, it couldn't have been _that_ bad or everyone would know about it."

"Change the subject or I'm going home."

Jinx pouted, sighing when it didn't change Raven's mind – didn't seem to have any effect at all. "Fine. Guess I'll just try again another day. I should probably head back anyway before the boys start to wonder where I am."

Raven nodded and got to her feet, the meta-human standing with her. "It'll… probably be a while before I can meet up with you again."

Jinx grinned. "And after all this talk and threats about you not answering your communicator? I have some H.I.V.E stuff to do anyway. No attacking shadow monsters without backup, okay?"

"So long as you promise to be careful. Robin believes he may have specifically gone after me tonight, and if he did, and he saw you…"

"What makes bird brain think that?"

"Just something the man said."

"Uhuh. Well I have eyes on the back of my head anyway. I'll be fine." She dismissed the empath's concerns with a wave of her hand. "Now kiss me goodbye so I can go home and get my beauty sleep." She stepped forward as she spoke, for the first time certain Raven wouldn't protest. The kiss was short, but none of the less sweet.

She stayed to watch the titan leave, a black portal consuming the girl, before she found herself reprimanding her own actions.

"Get her trust, get dirt on her, and then get reporters on her ass. Come on Jinx – it aint that hard."

* * *

Starfire floated down the long corridor to the empath's room, her mind unsettled, unable to forget the speed of which her team mate had left the common room after bringing the books to them. She couldn't help but remember how vulnerable she'd felt, introducing her friends to Tamaran and its traditions, all so very different from the American way of doing things. Despite thinking at the time she would have to leave her friends for a rather unwanted life on Tamaran, she had been worried their differences, shoved in her friends' faces like that, might have alienated her friends from her, and if she could do anything to avoid Raven from feeling the same way about her current position…

Reaching the door, she knocked lightly, waiting a moment before calling out softly, "Raven, it is Starfire. I wish to talk to you."

She knew the chance of Raven being asleep was small, and if she was, that she was a light sleeper. The lack of response worried her – she hadn't come across Raven in any other part of the tower –and she called out again.

"Raven?"

She pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear some response, when the door hissed and slid open suddenly, unlocked, dumping the alien onto the charcoal carpet of Raven's room. She scrambled to her feet, a rushed apology having already left her lips before her eyes had even had chance to scan the dark room, finding it empty.

Just to make sure, she slowly looked over the room again. Everything in Raven's room was neat, from the perfectly made bed to the placement of jars sat on the top shelf of the bookcase, so it didn't take Starfire long to notice the pieces of Raven's uniform hastily scattered across the carpet.

It was rare to see Raven dressed in anything but her cloak and leotard, but Starfire could count several _recent_ occasions where she or another titan had seen Raven in jeans. As the pieces connected in her head, the princess smile, and had decided to sit on the bed and wait for Raven's return when the empath appeared, a blush burning across her face as she caught sight of her teammate, quickly followed by a frown.

"Starfire?"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I'm house-sitting for someone for three weeks, their cat does nothing but hiss at me, and I can only access the internet from their computer and their keyboard is HORRIBLE. So I apologies for any typos in this chapter…

* * *

**Reviews**:

**nada129: ** Lol raven blushing like a school girl because of jinx you just have to love those two are made for each other great chapter I look forward to your next one keep it up

_Ahah glad you liked it. Here's hoping you enjoy reading this chapter just as much._

**Knight of the Raven: **(Cut due it it's length) _No, a leopard really can't change her spots. Yeah, I wouldn't like to get of Raven's bad side. She'll probably realise how big a mistake it was soon enough. I'm glad you liked some of the descriptions, and again, thank you for pointing out typos (they weren't half as bad as last chapter!)_

**Dak Hamee: ** ... Best chapter yet, hehe that's right Jinx make her work for it, crack that shell, Starfire you are my best friend right now, lets see what the empath has to say about her absence hehehe

_Really? Well, glad you thought so. Lets see if I can change that with some future chapters, hmm? It is time Raven did some of the work isn't it? Lucky Jinx knows just how to play her. Hmmm, lets xD_

**Discb: **Caught xD

_Ahah at least it was Star, and not Robin! _

**Deathnoteuser: ***insert stupid grin here* You're updating rather quickly. That makes me really happy. I thought I found two typos, but then I went back and only found one... you wrote mna instead of man. Starfire is a lot more perceptive in your story than in the show, but I like her better this way. She's not a ditz, she's just...naive I suppose. Seems she put the pieces together. And Robin is the Boy Detective. Just what did Batman teach you boy?

_I am updating a lot. It makes me happy too. Ah. Oops. I do take some of her personality from the comics, because you're right, in the show she's a little bit too naive and easy going for a warrior princess. In my view anyway. _

**flshgordon003: **Great chapter

_Glad you liked it!_

**Spikesagitta: **Well. Let's hope Raven never learn that Jinx is trying to trick her. Of course  
things will never be that easy.

_Let's hope. Even though that might mean things going really badly for her. _

* * *

"_Starfire?"_

"Hello Raven. Please, have you been somewhere nice?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Why are you in my room?"

"I had wished to speak to you, and your door was unlocked."

"Starfire, it's after twelve. Couldn't it have waited until morning?"

"My original reason for being here, no, it cannot, for I am worried about your current emotional wellbeing."

Raven arched her brow. "Okay, two questions. What do you mean, original reason? And what on earth makes you think there is anything wrong with my emotional state?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice how… agitated you seemed earlier, after you brought those books into the common room."

"Agitated?" Seeing Starfire wasn't going to be quick, she motioned her towards her bed. "Take a seat; we might as well talk in comfort."

Starfire smiled at her before sitting down, watching Raven as she levitated, taking the air for her seat before saying, "I too understand what it is to be different, and I-"

"If you think I am having trouble regarding my heritage, let me assure you. I had come to accept what I am years ago."

"Then why do you avoid our questions? You are worried that once we have read those books and gained a greater knowledge of demons that it is all we will be able to see in you. And don't say you aren't worried about it. Remember, I kept many things from our friends, from you, that none of you might never had learn had I not been summoned to Tamaran by my sister, because I was afraid that's all you'd see me as. An alien. And well, I didn't want you to treat me any different because I'm a princess."

"We've thought of you as an alien from the moment we first saw you." Raven smiled slightly. "Of course, and alien _princess_ is much more attention grabbing than a mere alien."

"We are your friends Raven, whether you are human, demon or anything in between. Knowing more about your father's people will not change how we see you."

"…Okay. So that's the original reason. What other reason might you have gained to make my feeling of apparent agitation the 'original reason'?"

Starfire smiled, the sudden wave of happiness from the girl hitting the empathy strong. "You are seeing someone."

Raven couldn't hide her initial shock at the statement. "What? Who on earth gave you that idea?"

"You. You have been spending time away from the tower, you have been staying out late because you have been drinking your morning tea later than usual, proving you've been over sleeping." Starfire's voice had gotten faster with each word, until Raven struggled to understand her. "I am happy for you!"

Raven stared at her a moment, fighting to keep a neutral expression as she tried to decide whether or not tell her teammate just how right she was. Starfire mistook her silence for a confirmation.

"You have never been one to make a mess, yet-" She pointed towards Raven's uniform spread across the floor, "He must be someone special."

Raven had started to contradict her, to tell her that 'he' wasn't a he at all, when Starfire gasped, her hand flying over her mouth before she guessed, "He was with you when you saw the Shadow Man, and after Robin suggested you had been specifically targeted you worried he had been seen and-"

"Can I just stop you now, before you say _'he'_ one more time? _She_ is female."

Starfire shrugged. "My apologies. But I am correct, yes?"

"…Almost." Raven admitted quietly. "I did not meet up with her just now because I was concerned for her safety though – at least it wasn't my only reason."

"Whatever it was for, it must have been important."

"I… believe I'd – know I'd – upset her. Apparently I brushed her aside to deal with the Shadow."

Starfire laughed, and Raven frowned at her. "Robin does the same thing. If she truly likes you, she will grow to appreciate the trait for making you who you are."

"You mean to tell me it doesn't irritate you when Robin turns into a work driven robot?" Raven asked, already knowing her answer. "Liar."

"Of course it does. I never said it didn't. Though I have learnt to be patient with him. Are you telling me this girlfriend of yours doesn't have any traits that irritate you?"

"She has too many to count." Raven grumbled.

"But?"

"But nothing. If I had an inch of sense, I wouldn't be seeing her at all."

"Feelings of the heart rarely listen to sense and reason." Starfire told her, smiling at the face Raven pulled, a look that said _'feelings of the heart? Yeah, right after hell freezes over.'_ "So, will we get to meet her?"

Raven quickly shook her head. "No. I will not be introducing her to anyone. And don't even _think_ about mentioning this to the boys. Not a word."

"You are worried they would be disapproving? Perhaps because the subject of your affections is female? I have heard it can be somewhat of an issue on earth, but"-

"No, it's not that, although Beast Boy certainly doesn't need any more material to use against me."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"She's… I've only seen her in date situations a few times. I'd prefer not to make a fuss out of nothing. I'll… introduce her when I'm ready to, and I promise, you will be the first to learn of her identity."

"You care for her, don't you?" Starfire asked with a small smile.

"My emotions are dangerous, it wouldn't be-"

"You have been able to experience a greater range of emotions since the defeat of your father without breaking things." She interrupted. "So you are aware, I may not know this girl, but so long as she does you no wrong, I will eagerly look forward to meeting her."

"You say that now." The empathy muttered.

"You are one of the wisest and most sensible members of this team, and I trust your judgement."

"For all you know I could be dating the Shadow." Raven pointed out dryly as Starfire stood to leave, making her way towards the door.

"We have already decided this 'Shadow' is male, and that your date is female." She replied. "I shall see you in the morning. Goodnight, Raven."

"Night." Raven returned as Starfire left. She remained where she was, eyes trained on the door for several minutes before she put her feet down and undressed. "I wish I trusted myself as much as you trust me."

* * *

Raven wasn't the first in the common room that morning, but she had made sure she wasn't the last. Starfire wasn't the only observant person in the tower, and she really didn't want Robin asking questions. She was sat reading with a bleary eyed Robin when Cyborg entered the room, his loud greeting making the two titans sat at the table feel even more washed out. As Cyborg took in the appearance of his two friends on his way to the kitchen, he muttered to himself, "Looks like I'll be making several pots of coffee this morning."

Raven had tried to sleep after Starfire had left. But had found herself reading the book on Necromancy two hours later. She'd drifted off to sleep at five, only for her alarm clock to go off half an hour later. She hadn't even attempted to meditate, but had made her way into the common room with her book, only to find Robin, hunched over an empty coffee mug with a book on Demonology in his hands. One hour, one coffee pot and a pot of tea later Raven couldn't seem to shake the headache that was slowly building behind her eyes, and her leader didn't seem to be doing too well either, large, jaw breaking yawns pausing his reading in often and regular intervals.

"You know, staying up all night won't make you any sharper. And it definitely won't help with your memory even if you did come across something. So, did you sacrifice a night of sleep in vain, or have you found something that might help us?"

Robin shook his head. "I haven't found a damned-"

"A sacrifice!" Raven's voice was loud and sudden, making the two boys jump. "Of course!" Putting her book down, she quickly rose to her feet and made her way over to the computer.

"Raven?" Robin asked as he and Cyborg moved to join the empathy at the computer.

"I don't know why it hadn't already occurred to me. If our Shadow was created from dark magic, or raised with Necromancy, the blood sacrifice needed… we'd have a mass of murder reports, all from around the same time, in a shared location, and if not murders then missing persons reports or perhaps a sudden rise in accidental deaths. Either we find something and we locate the possible place our Shadow was created, or we don't and we can cross it off from our reading list."

"That might be harder than it sounds." Robin frowned. "I mean, just in Gotham, six people are reported missing every day, and that's just an average."

"I know it's a long shot, but if it works, we could find our shadow's creator or cross Dark Magics off our list. It would cut our research time in half." Her fingers flew across the keyboard, first opening up Jump City's police records before motioning Robin forward to type in the password as the small box flashed up.

"How about I do this, and you and Robin go to your rooms and get some rest, even if it's just for an hour. God knows you both need it."

"No; I'm fine." Raven quickly protested. "I can rest after we've beaten the shadow."

"Robin?" Cyborg pleaded. If he could only agree with him, they might be able to get her to listen.

"Raven's right. It's only a matter of time before he leaves us another body to find. We don't have time to rest."

Cyborg sighed heavily. "The two of you are so… damn stubborn. At least let me search for collective murder, suspicious deaths and missing persons reports. I can bypass the security quicker than either of you."

Raven hesitated before nodding and moving away from the computer. "Robin, you said you could get me clearance to see the body of the first victim. Shall we?"

* * *

Robin stood back as Doctor Reinfields led Raven up to the table. "I don't know what you're hoping to find. As I stated in my report, the body showed nothing that could explain why she died." He went for the portable table first, grabbing a pair of disposable latex gloves from their box. "And I certainly don't agree with the Commissioner's decision of allowing minors around the bodies."

"I've seen worse." Raven murmured, her eyes dropping to the shape under the white sheet.

Reinfields folded back the sheet, uncovering the brunette. She was fair of face, and had a slight olive cast to her dull skin. Raven knew from the original report that if her eyes had been left open and staring they'd be brown. Her hair was short, barely brushing her shoulders.

"Amanda Cresswell. 18. According to her mother, she'd just been accepted to go to Harvard University. She'd been out celebrating with friends the night she disappeared."

Raven nodded as her eyes searched the body. "I know. I read the police report."

"The police still haven't found her father." He said, speaking more to Robin now. "He's either out of the country or doesn't care – it isn't like the news hasn't played the story of her and the other girls enough. My guess is he doesn't care. Her mother hasn't seen him since the girl's birth, about the same time she took him to court for cases of domestic abuse."

"We read the file." Robin repeated Raven, his voice tense.

The Doctor shrugged. "Just thought the information might help?"

"Help what? Humanise her?"

"You're teenagers. You shouldn't have to stare at someone who's died in a clinical mind set. You shouldn't have any business with the dead at all – you're kids, not medical professionals."

"I'm not." Robin frowned, still having not approached the table.

"She is." The Doctor said, nodding at Raven, and Robin didn't quite know how to respond to that. Reinfields moved to grab the sheet. "Like I said in my report, there's nothing to-"

Raven grabbed his arm, stopping him from pulling the sheet up. "I haven't done." Without asking, she grabbed a pair of gloves for herself and slipped them on. "Help me turn her over."

"What?"

"You heard me." She grabbed the girl's cold shoulders and waited impatiently, her gaze fixed on the Doctor.

"May I ask what you're looking for?" His voice held a nasty edge.

"A mark."

"There is nothing-"

"To your eyes. If she was struck down by a spell or curse, I will be able to see its mark. Everything leaves a mark." When the doctor still didn't move, Raven turned her gaze to Robin. "A little help? I would move her only own, but I don't want to touch her with my soul self. It might remove any traces of magic – if it was the cause of death."

Shaking his head, Reinfields stepped forward. "Here."

He grabbed the body's hips and together they rolled her onto her side, shimmying her across the table before gently rolling her onto her front.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"This… mark you're looking for?"

"If she was killed by a curse, I'd see a shadow above her skin, usually over something like a vital organ. If it was a spell, I'd see a shimmer of movement, similar to what you see above the road on a particularly hot day."

"Steam?" He frowned.

"Yes and no." Seeing nothing on the back of her body, her gloved hands moved to the girl's scalp, methodically parting her hair, watching for a moment then moving on.

"And if you don't find anything?"

"We go back to the drawing board." Robin answered.

"Any luck in finding suspects?"

"One." He nodded. "The police were right about the killer not being your average human. Unfortunately, catching him isn't going to be a simple matter."

Raven straightened up, her frustration easy to read. "Nothing." She stared at the girl a moment, before frowning. "She was found on her back, but there's no bruising. Where did the blood settle?"

"I don't know. It puzzles me too. The body bled when I performed the autopsy. Besides there are no wounds to suggest she lost blood." Reinfields told her.

"It could be the lead we're looking for. I'll do some research – see what I can find. Let's turn her back over."

Raven and the Doctor worked quickly, Reinfield covering the body with the white sheet when they were done. "You will tell me what you think killed her, should you work it out, won't you?"

The empath nodded. "Of course."

"We done?" Robin asked, and she slowly nodded.

"I… could show you the second body, should you benefit from seeing it." Doctor Reinfields suggested, and Robin's brow arched.

"That's a sudden change of tune."

"I've already seen it." Raven shook her head. "Besides I doubt we'd find anything. Most of the blood had be drained from her body, so there's no way of telling if it would have settled or not. If you'll excuse us."

"Yes, of course." He walked them to the door of the morgue. "While I haven't changed my mind about the Commissioner granting you access to the bodies… drop by if I can help you with anything."

Robin nodded. "We will. Thanks, Doctor." He pushed Raven out of the door, before following. "Sometimes I really do hate the authorities."

"Hmm."

"So, what's your verdict?"

"I don't know." Raven answered.

"So, she wasn't cursed or… wished to death?"

"I can't completely rule it out, but it's unlikely."

"So our next lead is?" He asked, and the empathy shrugged.

"We go back to my books and hope something stands out. The fact that the blood in the body of the first girl didn't settle warrants looking at too."

They made their way through the lobby, Robin politely acknowledging anyone who looked their way. "So, you think the fact that her blood hadn't settled is because?

"Possibly magic." Raven answered.

"What type?"

"Blood magic. Perhaps. I don't know much about it at all, though."

The titans left the building, and Robin waited until they were seated in the T-Car and driving before saying, "Eighteen, smart, her mother was a victim of domestic abuse… kinda sounds like someone else, don't you think?"

Raven stared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"Eighteen, the smartest person on the team, born from rape."

"Consequence." Raven growled. "The Shadow is not targeting me specifically, so get over it."

"He found you near the old library and ignored us once we reached you. His choice of women are not only around your height and age, they're-"

"Name one reason why someone would have a personal vendetta against me." She cut him short.

"You're half demon, for a start."

"Which isn't public knowledge." Raven dismissed his point. "The Justice League, The Church of Blood, residents of Azarath, and the Teen Titans are the only people who know."

"That's a lot of people." Robin told her.

"You think the Justice League sent him after me?" The empathy asked sceptically.

Robin ignored her comment. "What about the Church of Blood?"

"If it is them I don't know what they could possibly hope to achieve by killing women. I am _not_ being targeted Robin, so forget the idea. The ones being targeted are the missed women and those like them." She crossed her arms and set her gaze out the side window, letting Robin know she was done with the conversation.


	13. Chapter 13

**Reviews:**

**Mttmercado: **oh snap, i hope jinx isn't on this list of the shadow man

_Yeah, that wouldn't be good!_

**nada129: **You were right I love this chapter I feel sorry for the girls who died. Lol Starfire makes me laugh when she speaks she gets faster I would of lost 2 years of brain activity from her so keep up the awesome work

_Good! Ahah yeah, I wouldn't fancy trying to keep up with her when she's talking like that._

**Dak Hamee: **When Starfire has her moments it's always funny, especially when Raven gets owned, finally somebody points out that all the victims r similar to raven, in looks and past, that point was never mentioned last time around and it was slightly annoying

_I like Starfire's moments. Especially if it involves getting one on Rae xD I am rewriting it for several reasons haha, that being one of them._

**Deathnoteuser: **Haha, comic Kori is definitely more appealing than Starfire is. I thought that bodies didn't bleed once the heart stopped beating since the blood isn't circulating. If she was found on her back, then the blood should have accumulated in her front, and I suppose that bleeding could have occurred like that. Domestic abuse... Interesting theory Robin. Guess the Bat did teach you something after all. Raven is way too stubborn. Hopefully a certain bad luck charm will be able to talk some sense into her. If this is going in the same direction as your original story, Raven's gonna hate that she was wrong.

_Bodies still bleed when they're cut into because there will usually still be some blood that's settled into the vein/artery/capillary you've cut into, but after a certain amount of time, it will clot. So it won't be enough to squirt the poor Forensic Pathologist in the face, but enough to get his gloves dirty. Gravity will pull the blood to settle at whatever's classed as the 'bottom' of the body, often causing capillaries to burst, thus causing bruising. In our first's vic's case, that would be the back of her body, since she was found on her back. It is an interesting Theory Robin has. And you're right, it might do Raven some good to listen to Robin this time. _

**Why881992883840002882818839:** Your story "Clandestine" is my favorite, actually I think I'm going to go retread it now, but this is certainly a good one and the update rate on all your stories is phenomenal. You have been making significant improvements to the story, which makes me wonder; are you planning on making any large changes to the plot? Or will you still keep things basically the same? If you have already told us please forgive me, my memory for most things isn't great.

_I think Clandestine is one of my favourites too. As for how many changes I'm going to make to this… original, I wasn't going to make THAT many, but recently I've been thinking I'm definitely going to be changing some details about the Shadow (or, technically ADDING detail he was very much missing) which will, in its course, change the plot that little bit. The simple answer, no, I won't be keeping it the same. _

**Discb:** Yummy dead bodies.

_Soemtimes helpful, but not the most attractive things to look at haha._

**Spikesagitta:** Nah, she definitely being targeted. I mean, that should be the obvious connection. Raven might know so, but she just refuse to acknowledge that, so it won't be true.

_If you don't acknowledge it, it can't be true. If you don't look, it can't be there. If only that were true, huh._

* * *

Starfire and Beast Boy had joined Cyborg in the common room by the time Raven and Robin had made their way back to the Tower, Cyborg still typing away on the computer's keyboard while Beast Boy watched over the robotic teen's shoulder. Starfire had her head buried in one of the books, but looked up as the two titans entered the room.

"Cyborg informed us you had gone to see the body of the first victim. Please, did you find anything useful?"

"Nothing to confirm if she was killed by a sort of magic, but I did notice something… odd about the body." She moved to join Cyborg and Beast Boy at the computer. "Have you found anything?"

He shook his head. "Gotham isn't the only city with a high monthly rate of murders, missing people, and accidental deaths. Trying to single out a particular town or cit… it's gonna be impossible."

Starfire looked at Robin for an answer to the question Raven had only half answered, and Robin told her, "The blood in the girl's body had failed to settle after her death. Raven thinks it might point towards Blood Magic."

"So, more books?" Beast Boy asked unhappily, but Raven shook her head.

"Not this time. It's one of the few subjects I _don't_ have books on. I do, however, know someone who should be able to answer my questions."

"One of your… acquaintances?" Robin asked unhappily, saying before she could reply, "When you've organised to meet them, tell me, and I'll accompany you."

"I can't guarantee they'll talk with you there." Raven told him, somewhat impatiently.

"They talk to you."

"Because I found them. Because I've got as much to hide as they have."

"I'm coming with you. If they don't talk, I'll wait outside."

"They could view me bringing you as some sort of threat." She argued. "I don't think-"

The klaxons sounded, cutting Raven short and warning the team of an emergency. The main computer minimised the webpages Cyborg had open, before opening a GPS map of Jump City, a red blip over the area the alarm had been triggered. A short diagnostic popped up next, informing the team the alarm had been set off from the bank on Main Street, followed by a video feed of the bank. That was a new system, and Cyborg had only installed them in a handful of locations so far. This one showed the H.I.V.E Five entering the bank, Jinx and Gizmo staying in the lobby while Mammoth moved towards the back of the room. The security guard tried to fire his gun at the giant, but it didn't fire, and the man threw the gun aside, grabbing for his backup. The titans saw this one fizz with pink static and knew the thief had somehow broken it before the man even tried to fire.

"The H.I.V.E Five." Robin said, relief in his voice as visions of shadows and lifeless women left his mind. "Beast Boy, you and Starfire deal with Mammoth. Raven, Cyborg, you two get Gizmo. I'll deal with Jinx."

Raven had to fight to keep her stoic mask as relief flooded through her. While she liked to think she'd still be able to fight against Jinx just as she would another super villain, she didn't want to test it. Robin would instantly notice is she started holding back, or pulling her attacks up short. Robin moved to leave the common room and everyone followed, the T-Car their first destination.

* * *

The titans arrived within minutes, but an array of cop cars and reporters had made it there before them. Robin cursed and quickly left the car the moment it came to a stop, marching over and asking after whoever was in charge. Raven moved to join him, her eyes on the five cops aiming at the front of the bank with their guns, taking cover behind their patrol cars, waiting for a clear shot. Raven wanted to go up to them and disarm them one by one, to break their guns into dozens of pieces. Instead she did her best to ignore them and tried to forget it was Jinx inside the building.

"…Know how we dislike having police on and around the scene when it involves a criminal or meta-origin or anything not strictly human. We can't fight them _and_ watch out for your safety." She heard Robin say, his voice louder than usual and sounding agitated. "Please, send you men away, and take the damned reporters with you."

"A woman called in a bank robbery. We just responded." A man in uniform shrugged. "They didn't say _who _was robbing the bank."

"Well I'm telling you it's a group of meta-humans who call themselves the H.I.V.E Five." Robin motioned towards the cops spread out across the road. "So call your men back."

The cop hesitated, before doing as the Titan told him, calling back his men on his radio, before telling Robin, "Myself and one of the vans will remain here for when you've captured them.

Robin nodded before waving his team forward. Cyborg and Beast Boy headed for the front entrance while Raven, Starfire and Robin grouped together, the empath teleporting them inside the bank. The H.I.V.E didn't see the three titans appear behind them, entirely focused on Cyborg and Beast Boy as the broke through the front door. Starfire didn't waste any time, quickly taking to the air and flying towards the back of the room towards the main vault situated in one of the back rooms where they'd seen Mammoth go on the camera. Robin was the next to act, pulling out his boa staff as e sprinted forward and swung it at the bottom of Jinx's legs, knocking her over. Startled, Gizmo yelled and turned around to see Raven.

He activated his energy guns and fired, but Raven easily blocked the attack with one of her shields. She saw the blue beam before Gizmo did, Cyborg's attack sending the small villain flying across the bank lobby and into one of the walls. The empath watched Beast Boy run past her to find and help Starfire with Mammoth before flying up to Gizmo, blocking some sort of gadget he threw at Cyborg. A large bang vibrated through the floor, letting them know the changeling and Starfire had Mammoth covered. Raven wasn't sure about Robin's own success, however, seeing flurries of pink hexes out of the corner of her eye. The meta-human struggled to use her hexes in close quarters without risking damaging herself, which meant Robin had gone on the defensive.

Speaking tactically, Cyborg was perhaps one of the best suited to fight all three members of the H.I.V.E. Against Jinx, he had his sonic cannon for ranged attacks, and enough strength to overpower her during hand to hand combat. His strength almost rivalled Mammoth, but what gave him his edge over the giant was his speed, being much nimbler than the criminal, and who else would better understand Gizmo's gadgets but Cyborg? After his time undercover at H.I.V.E Academy, though, Cyborg had asked Robin not to be put against the hex-caster. He'd told Robin it was because he had a more personal vendetta against Gizmo, and Robin took it at face value. Raven and Bumble Bee – a fellow hero situated at Titans East – seemed to be the only two aware of the crush Cyborg had for Jinx.

Since the Robin usually pitted Raven against the meta-human, and it wasn't too bad a pairing. Raven, like Jinx, was best at using ranged attacks, but she had enough skill at hand to hand combat to be able to keep the hex-caster at bay and to, occasionally, overpower her. So long as Jinx could keep the leader of the titans at bay and destroy any gadgets he threw her way Jinx had the definite advantage. Raven couldn't quite understand why Robin hadn't chosen herself or Starfire to fight the leader of the H.I.V.E Five.

She didn't see the small rocket Gizmo sent her way, too busy watching Robin and Jinx. It hit her side and exploded upon impact, throwing her back and releasing a forest of flames that crawled across her skin. Something hit her in the middle of her back, halting her flight and interrupting the burning pain spread across her side between her bottom rib and her hip. She saw Cyborg run towards her, almost looking panicked, but when she glanced down, her leotard seemed to have taken more damage than her skin. The black material, made from a thin Kevlar, had burnt away where the small rocket had hit her, the edges still flaming, which she quickly patted out, the hole revealing baby pink skin that was tender to the touch, but otherwise undamaged. Her eyes met Cyborg's and she knew they were both asking the same questions.

'_Since when have I been fire-proof?'_

They heard Gizmo curse, having seen Raven's 'wound' himself, and watched the empath rise to her feet, glancing behind her to find the main reception desk that had stopped her flight. Eyes going back to Gizmo, she saw him launch another rocket at her, blocking this one with her shield. Cyborg hit the villain with another blast from his sonic cannon while Gizmo had his attention on Raven, saving his own questions he wanted to ask the empath for later.

Raven acted quickly, her dark energy surrounding the small villain's pack of gadgets as he hit the ground, and ripped it from his back before crushing the metal into a small ball and throwing it aside. Gizmo yelled out in complaint, throwing dozens of childish insults at the titan while Cyborg moved forward and grabbed the back of the villain's green jumpsuit, lifting him into the air so he didn't have to stoop to cuff his wrists.

"I'll go and help Star and BB bring down Mammoth." He told Raven, dropping Gizmo. "You help Rob with Jinx.

Raven nodded, despite cringing internally, and turned around. She saw she'd been right, Jinx keeping Robin at a distance with her hexes, any gadget Robin threw crackling with pink static and landing harmlessly at her feet. As she watched some sort of disk malfunctioned moments after Robin and thrown it, exploding in the air right next to him, the blast sending Robin stumbling back.

Raven quickly scoped the room for something to throw at the girl, ending up with a computer in the grasp of her soul self. She flung it at Jinx, and the meta human only just saw it, jumping to the side and watching it pass her before her eyes went back to Raven. Looking at Robin, still recovering from the blast, she suddenly ran forward, past the two titans and towards the back of the bank.

"I've got her!" She told Robin as she ran past, round the back desk and towards the main vault, Jinx only just managing to stay out of her sight.

She heard the door open and assumed Jinx was trying to escape via the back door. Raven sprinted past Mammoth and her two teammates, hearing the start of Starfire's sentence as she began to ask Raven if she needed help before she was out the door, out of hearing range, and quickly gaining on the meta-human.

Jinx looked behind her, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the quickly advancing titan, deciding the empath didn't look all that happy, and that she really didn't want her to catch up. She wove her way through the alleyways, choosing what she thought was the right path back to Main Street. Soon enough her luck ran out and Jinx found herself being backed up against a dead end.

She forced herself to smile, weary of Raven's expression. "Fancy seeing you here."

Away from everyone, Raven let herself get angry. "What on earth were you thinking? Targeting a bank in broad daylight? There were cops outside waiting for a clear shot at you!"

"Really? I'm flattered. I had no idea we were so important."

"This isn't funny, Jinx."

She shrugged, her eyes dropping to find the large hole in the Titan's leotard, saying with a smirk, "Nice alteration to your costume."

"You can thank your teammate for that. He hit me with one of his small rockets."

The smile slipped off her face to be replaces with shock. "What?" She moved forward and touched the pink skin showing with tentative fingers, pulling back when Raven winced. "Shit girl, how resilient are you?"

She shook her head, ignoring the question. "What on _earth_ possessed you to rob a bank in the middle of the day?"

"That's none of your-"

Jinx stopped, having heard something hit the ground, followed by a metallic clash of a trashcan tipping over.

"_Buusted_." Jinx whispered, grinning.

Raven ignored her – she couldn't sense anyone near them though opted not to inform Jinx that – and made her way out of the dead end and towards the area the sound had come from. Going to the turn off before the one Jinx had run down, Raven found another dead end, a metal door set into one of the wall, next to a line of trashcans heading away from the empath, the last two on their sides, their content spread out across the alley.

She started down it, her hands raised and glowing with a black light, worried she was going to encounter the Shadow. What she found was worse.

Growing impatient, Jinx moved to the mouth of the alley, instantly spotting Raven, when searching the alley for a sign of the other titans, only then noticing it was a dead end.

"Great, it wasn't your friends. What are you staring at?"

Raven didn't answer as her eyes went to the top of the walls, expecting to see the Shadow looking down at her. She didn't notice Jinx moving towards her, didn't realise the meta-human was beside her until she heard Jinx's gasp. The thief quickly stumbled backwards, tripping over one of the trashcans, Raven quickly grabbing the girl's arm and keeping Jinx on her feet. While the meta-human couldn't exactly get any paler, her cheeks – usually hinting at pink – were drained of colour and her breathing coming too fast.

"Calm down, before you make yourself sick."

"Calm down?!" Her wide eyes fixed on Raven. "There's a body three feet in front of us, and you want me to calm down?!" She saw Raven's eyes go to the edge of the buildings above them. "What are you looking for?"

"That bang… she was dropped here, and I think I know dropped her."

"Oh, _hell no_!" Breaking the grip the empath had on her arm Jinx quickly backed up, reminding Raven that while Jinx had no issues with breaking most laws and dishing out injuries, that's all she was – a thief. "What are you waiting for? We need to get out of here, now, before whoever killed her gets us!"

"I need to call the titans over." Raven disagreed, but followed Jinx back out into the main alley. She could feel waves of distress pouring off the meta-human and found she wanted to comfort her, growing frustrated when she realised she didn't know how. "You really will make yourself sick if you don't slow your breathing down."

Jinx's eyes dropped to the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself. "It's not fair. _I'm _the bad guy – how come you get to act like it's nothing while I…"

"You're upset. It's understandable, Jinx."

"She kinda looks like you."Jinx barely even whispered, too quiet for Raven to make out her words.

"What?"

"I said she…" Her eyes flickered back to the alley then down to the ground again. "…She kinda looks like you." Her pink eyes found Raven's face. "That can't be a consequence. Rae, what if he's-"

"He is _not targeting me!_" Raven interrupted, louder than necessary. "Get out of here. I'm going to call my teammates over."

She grabbed her communicator, and when Jinx still hadn't moved, she snapped.

"Do you want to be caught or not?"


	14. Chapter 14

Does anyone know if antibiotics can make you feel sick? I should know by now, the amount of times I've been on them, but these are new ones, and I can't tell if it was my bad cooking last night for my tablets…

I was watching the Lion King while writing this. Such an emotional movie :( Oh yeah! Marriage Equality has finally been passed in England. YAY!

* * *

**Reviews:**

**Discb: **Screw learning I was just thinking terms of food. Excellent chapter once again.

_Ahah. Well, glad you liked the chapter._

**Mttmercado: ** curiouser and curiouser, i know jinx is still on the bad side, but to what will she gain from this? was she pist as finding out gizmo napped her with a missile? is he targeting raven? Hmmmmmmmmm

_Hmm, indeed. I suppose all we can do is wait and see…_

**nada129: ** Poor jinx but she is right about targeting raven he dropped the bodie there for raven to find and that would suck great chapter :)

_If only Raven would admit they're right! Glad you liked :)_

**Spikesagitta: **I think this is where I make bad denial and coming out jokes! :p Raven is so in denial about the shadow guy targeting her.

_Ahah xD She is in denial. Oh well._

**DragoLord19D: **WOOT! You're doin' some SERIOUS updatin'! That's AWESOME! I take it you FINALLY got a decent internet connection?

_I am! That, and I'm house-sitting and ill at the moment, so I don't have much else to do._

**Deathnoteuser: **Oh man. Raven's doing that thing I used to when I was younger and throwing a blanket over herself thinking that no one can see her. Two updates in a single day? *grins deliriously* DON'T BE AN OSTRICH RAVEN!

_Ahah she is. Sadly it doesn't work. I've tried it too. _

**Dak Hamee: **Man ur really cranking these out like clockwork lately, nice, hehe Jinx u dodged a bullet there, u should probably thank Shadow boy for distracting ur angry lover... U know before he attacks u that is

_I'm trying :P Aha yeah, she probably should. I mean, what a way to change the subject, huh?_

**TyrionGreywind**: Hmmm, I really am going to have to read the original... I'm too curious for my own good! Man, why is Raven being so stubborn, and what does she have to hide? It said that somewhere in there and it drove me up the wall with questions about it, ha you're evil! And I like that you are playing with Raven's heritage, it adds a lot of depth, and what's up with the skin and fire thing? Is it just part of her herritage, like some sort of 'demon puberty'? I don'tknow, but I hope you update soon!

_No! Don't you dare, damn it! Hmm I don't know. Maybe we'll find out. And I'm glad you like that. I enjoy playing around with her heritage myself. I don't think Raven even knows whats up with the fire thing. Maybe we'll find out!_

**FrenchHenry: **New power unlocked! Mayhaps letting love, the very powerful but oh so confusing emotion, reign free a bit has good benefits. I'm enjoying the changes thus far, Jinx's scheming is more fleshed out and thus makes more sense. Thanks for all the updates.

_Glad you're enjoying :P_

**Stormplains: **Raaaaven, it sure looks like you're being targeted. Or at least fear-tacticed. Ahh, so much ahhhh. Just a few typos I spotted, but all are ignorable. I'm not one to type out exactly what they were. Man this story just gets more and more intense! So as to my excuse for my absence... Hem, well I started seeing someone and she's kinda been taking up my minimal free time. I can't believe i missed 3 updates though! Ack! Well caught up now so...  
Keep writing strong.

_I have been updating rather quickly ahah__. You can always tell when I'm seeing someone, because my update rate really plummets :P _

* * *

The body lay twisted and broken, her tangled black hair – too solid a colour to be natural – covering her face. Closer inspection revealed a centimetre of blonde roots, almost white against the black dye. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong colour. Somehow, it seemed to make everything so much worse. The crime scene photographed, Doctor Reinfields arrived on the scene, to inspect and then move the body back to his lab, where he would study it and perform an autopsy before writing up his report for the police. Raven already knew what it would say. _Cause of death: Unknown_.

Finding the empath stood near the body, Reinfields offered her a small, tight smile. "Well, I'm seeing you again earlier than I would have liked. You found the body?"

"The body found me." Raven replied dryly, before explaining. "Her killer dropped her into the alley as I passed in pursuit of a criminal."

Resting a black suitcase on the floor, he opened it and grabbed a pair of latex gloves, slipping them on before he began inspecting the girl limb by limb. "Has anyone identified her yet?"

Raven shook her head. "No. It's kind of hard when you can't see her face, and no one wanted to touch the body before you had arrived."

He nodded. "The girl's clothes are extremely stained. Her killer must have held her captive for… two weeks maybe? She'll be among the first reported missing, I'm sure. I'll send samples off to be analysed, but I'm pretty sure that it'll all be her own blood and sweat."

"Any idea on the time of death?" Raven inquired, and the Doctor grabbed the corpse's wrist and tried to move the joint, finding it still and unyielding.

"Rigor Mortis. For it to have set into her arm, I can estimate that she's been dead around… six hours, at least." He looked at the titan. "How long has it been since you found her?"

"An hour and a half, maybe? Two hours maximum."

Doctor Reinfields went back to studying the body. "She has lacerations on her wrists." He grabbed a tool from his case and measure the wounds. "Four centimetres long. Any longer, and the cut wouldn't have fit on her wrists." He moved the hair away from her face revealing wide, light blue eyes.

"I'll go find someone to compare the photos of the missing girls to the body." Raven told him, before turning away.

She instantly spotted Robin among all the cops due to the bright colours of his costume, and made her way over. She had been rather surprised by the number of cops that could be found milling around the crime scene. There was almost too many. A swarm. Finding her leader in some conversation about the killer with two other cops, Raven quickly interrupted, looking pointedly at the two policemen.

"Doctor Reinfields wants someone to identify the body."

After a moment's pause the older of the two sighed, and muttered, "I'll go find the photos." Before wandering off towards the street and the patrol cars.

When Raven continued to stare at the remaining cop, he coughed uncomfortable, before wandering off. She looked at Robin, "Her clothes are stained. Reinfields thinks she was held captive for a while. He estimated she's been dead for about six hours. That means she'd been dead for at least four hours before being dropped in the alley. Her wrists had been slit. He had enough time to drain her body before dumping her." Raven told him. "No marks to indicate that magic had been used, but I can't rule it out without properly inspecting the body."

"I'm really starting to think we're right in assuming the police found the first body before the Shadow wanted them to."

Raven nodded. "It would seem that way. Did you get Mammoth and Gizmo?" They're both on their way to jail. Should be almost there by now." Robin nodded.

"I'm… sorry I let Jinx go." Raven muttered. "The body dropped… she saw it too, and freaked out and… I didn't know she could run so fast. I should have gone after her, I know. It's not like the body was going anywhere, but it just seemed more important."

"We'll catch her another day." He shrugged, watching as the older cop walked back over, a frown on his face.

"She's not on our list." He sounded confused. "Does that mean she wasn't reported missing?"

"Check the reports of missing people that don't come under our list of people who match the killer's profile." Raven spoke up. "She wasn't a natural blonde."

The man nodded and hurried off.

"What?" Robin frowned.

"Her roots are blonde."

Her leader sighed unhappily. "That means he isn't picky. Damn it. Who know how many more people that's going to add to our 'missing' list."

Another cop wandered over, this one appearing to be particularly younger than the rest – a rookie – a pen and notepad clutched in his hands, staring intently at the empath. Reaching the two titans, he cleared his throat, before asking, "Mind if I ask for your statement, Miss..?"

"My name's Raven." She muttered, looking at her leader who simply smiled and asked the cop,

"You pull the short straw?"

Raven glared at her leader, before looking at the man and saying, "I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be, but let's get it over with."

"I'll be over with Doctor Reinfields." Robin told the empath, before wandering off.

"You're our only witness." His discomfort was easy to read, and it made Raven feel better about the situation.

"Well, a criminal known as Jinx was there, but I suppose you'd have to catch her first, and even then I doubt she'd talk unless you working it into some sort of deal. Anyway, I was in the bank with the team, stopping the H.I.V.E Five from pulling off a robbery when Jinx tried to make a run for it out the back door. I pursued her and had almost caught her when the body landed in the alleyway, surprising us both. Jinx ran off while I went over to the body. No, I didn't see whoever threw her off the roof, before you ask."

The cop finished scribbling down notes and tapped his pen on the page as he read through them. "Do you know what time that was?"

"The alarm from the bank was triggered at ten, I think, so the body was thrown into the alley around… ten-thirty? Ten-forty five? I'm afraid I can't give you a better answer than that."

"No, that's fine." The cop told her. "Thank you."

He walked off, not gone for even a minute before Cyborg appeared beside her. "And I'd just dared to hope we'd seen our last body too."

"'We'd seen'?" Raven repeated with a small smile. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Robin and I are the only two on the team who have seen all three bodies."

"You're the only two on the team to have seen _any_ of the bodies." Cyborg corrected, "And I really don't feel like I'm missing out on much. This one as bad as the last body?"

"I'm not sure. On the one hand, no meat hooks and no intestines."

"That's always good."

"On the other hand, she was a natural blonde. She dyed her hair black." She informed him.

Cyborg winced, feeling sick. "Damn. Wrong colour, wrong time?"

"My thoughts exactly." Raven nodded in agreement, before saying, "At least we know he isn't picky about it having to be natural brunettes, but Robin's worried it'll increase the number of missing people that might be related to the case."

"I suppose, but… the poor girl." Cyborg shook his head. "You know – and don't yell at me for saying this – I think Robin might have a point. I mean, first it attacks you and leaves as soon as we arrive, and then he drops the third body right near you, for you to find… and not to mention their age and height. They all have similar length hair, and well, you're mother's brunette. Suppose Trigon _hadn't_ been your father…"

"That's great and all, Cyborg, but the only people who know what my mother looks like – who my mother even is – are you guys, the Church of Blood, and everyone who lived in Azarath during my time there. You're not sending the Shadow after me, neither is Azarath, and I keep an eye on the Church of Blood. They haven't performed the number of human sacrifices needed to create something like the Shadow."

"The Church of Blood? The dudes who worship your dad, right? I dunno Rae, that's an awful lot of people." Cyborg frowned, before his eyes widened. "Hang on, did you say _human sacrifice_?"

Raven shrugged. "So long as they're keeping to members of the Church, I'll leave them to it. Hopefully they'll kill themselves off, but I'll never be so lucky."

"I'm not sure if I should laugh, or feel worried." Cyborg muttered uncomfortably.

"I'd intervene if they were killing people who hadn't already pledged their life to Scath, but as it is…" She pulled out her communicator and found her contacts list. Ignoring fellow Titans both on her team and around the world, she had seven contacts, and one of them was Jinx. The others were her 'acquaintances' Robin hadn't been too happy to hear about. She scrolled down the contacts until she found the name William Palmer, pressing the call button.

Like with Jinx, the top screen remained blank, the bottom showing a blank grid in light blue that could be activated to track the other communication device with the touch of a button. Cyborg raised his brow in question but remained quiet. Someone picked up on the other end, cutting short the dial tone.

"Now, this is an unexpected surprise, Raven."

"William." She acknowledged the man who answered curtly, her eyes watching the swarms of cops that searched the areas surrounding the body again and again, ignoring Cyborg.

"Since you _never_ call for anything but business, how can I help you?"

"I need some information. Will you be home this afternoon?"

"Of course."

"I'll be bringing a friend." She warned him.

"Oh? Someone I know?"

"Perhaps, though not personally."

"I hope it doesn't break the rules of our rather… delicate arrangement." He replied, the comment sounding suspiciously like a threat.

"It won't."

"Then by all means, bring them along. I'll see you this afternoon."

Raven hung up, ignoring Cyborg's inquisitive look as she moved to find Robin. He was still with Doctor Reinfields, watching as he and a fellow doctor tried to get the body into a body bag, having trouble with the stiffened limbs. Seeing Raven, he turned to her, informing her,

"Reinfields also found cuts on her inner thighs, all places where main veins are close to the surface. He suspects the cuts were made after death, meaning they were only done to drain the body of blood. Cut her veins; leave her hanging for an hour or two… job done, especially if the blood would have failed to settle."

Raven nodded, before saying, "This afternoon. You said you wanted to be there."

He looked back at Reinfields to make sure he was still occupied before he started walking down the alleyway, expecting Raven to follow, out of earshot from the swarm of police. "You mean you've talked to one of your… acquaintances?"

She nodded. "I told him I would be bringing a friend, and he was… okay with it. On one condition. You might not agree with what he practices, but that doesn't matter. If word gets out about him, it'll be us he blames, and it could lead to something that could have been so easily avoided. I made a deal with him because it was necessary. Fighting him isn't an option."

"Could you be any more cryptic?" Robin frowned.

Raven shrugged. "Probably."

"And speaking with this man will help us solve the case?"

"Hopefully."

Robin sighed, before saying, "If I can keep your secret, I'm sure I can keep this guy's."

* * *

Raven had refused when Robin had suggested they take the T-Car, and when the black receded from its hold around him, Robin found himself in someone's very large, very private, very well-manicured back yard. The back of the house in front of them looked more like a mansion, spreading out further than he could see and towering over them with at least four stories of white, gleaming stone, crawling with ivy and dotted with large windows.

"Are we still in Jump City?" Robin asked as he tried to recall if he'd ever seen such a house before in Jump.

Raven didn't answer, walking up to the large oak backdoors and knocking before taking a step back and patiently waiting. They Boy Wonder was starting to doubt this was even a backyard.

"So, who is this guy?"

"His name is William."

"William… who?"

"The less I tell you, the better." Raven shook her head.

"What harm will knowing his name do? Exactly why does he practice, because you seem convinced the first thing I'm going to do is track this guy and… I don't know, _harass_ him."

"He might decide to tell you, but I won't."

"Okay… so how did you meet him?"

"I could sense him, knew what he was, and knew it would be in our best interests if we didn't have to fight him." She answered, before offering him a small smile. "You don't know how lucky you are to have me on the team."

The door opened, revealing a tall man with short, greying hair, dressed impeccably in expensive looking grey suit-pants with a matching silk waistcoat over a while button-up shirt, his black dress shoes polished until they gleamed like mirrors. All he was missing was the tie.

"Raven." He politely smiled as he eyes found Robin. "And this must be the friend you mentioned. I thought it would be one of your teammates. Please, come on in."

Robin threw the empath a questioning look, but followed her into the house. It didn't really make sense to him, why Raven would know this man, or why someone like the man Raven described would greet them so politely. Or why he would invite them in his home at all.

"No doubt Miss Roth has told you all about me." William addressed Robin as he closed the door behind them.

'_Roth'?_ "Actually, she's told me nothing but your first name." He answered, his irritation clear.

"I know the details of our agreement, William, word for word. To think you believe I would break it so foolishly…"

"I'm simply testing you, my dear." He shrugged as he began walking, expecting the two titans to follow him. "So Robin, how much do you know about Raven?"

He looked at the empath for some guidance and she shrugged. "You can't tell him anything he doesn't already know."

The leader of the titans gasped. "He knows? But you said he's nothing more than an acquaintance, and a dangerous one at that!"

"You think it's the Teen Titan that keeps him in line?"

William watched the exchange with amusement. "Well, at least that answers my question. Understand, Robin, that anything heard, said, or seen in this house, stays in the house. Raven has set up a nice little agreement that allows her, as a titan, to overlook my existence and… hobbies, while making me keep a low profile, although it has enough benefits to keep me happy with our arrangement."

"What benefits?" Robin frowned.

"Well, Raven and I often trade and buy books and artefacts from each other for one thing. She allows me – as her father's daughter – to live, for another thing." He glanced back, and noticing Robin's shocked expression, laughed. "Whether or not she would actually carry out her threat is another story, but I like life a little too much to test her."

"I'm here regarding the recent string of murders that have been happening in Jump City." Raven spoke up impatiently.

'_Well that answers one of my questions.'_ Robin thought. _'We aren't in Jump City.'_

"Those poor girls, yes. I saw on the news. You're not suggesting _I_ had anything to do with it, are you?"

"No, we know who the killer is."

"Good. Then before we talk business, how about a cup of tea? I personally don't drink the stuff, but I know you are rather fond of it, Raven." He led them into a large room Robin had no other name for but a library. Roughly the size of the tower's common room, all four walls were hidden behind floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, all full, and more books were piled on the floor.

"How about we just get on with business." Raven replied somewhat forcefully, sitting down on one of two plush sofas William led them to, Robin taking the seat next to her. "I noticed an anomaly with the body of the first victim. The blood didn't settle."

"Then ask your question." He took a seat on the sofa opposite.

"Why? What would stop the blood from settling?"

"Tell me more about the case you're working on."

"It's official police business, William. You know I can't do that."

"Yet you've already shared classified information with me."

"William, the sooner you quit playing around, the sooner Robin and I will be out of your hair."

"You never did have much patience." He sighed. "Very well. By all means, the blood should have settled. You said it was just in one of the victims?"

"The other one had lost a large amount of blood from wounds." Raven nodded. "It was impossible to tell. The third body seemed to have been drained, but it was only found this morning, so I can't say."

"Well, from the top of my head, I can think of two reasons to explain it. How much do you know about Vaudun Magics?"

"That it's not all as bad as Hollywood makes out." Raven muttered drily, before shrugging. "Not much, but like every form of magic, it has its curses."

William nodded. "A particular curse involves calling forth the darker spirits, and asking them to trap the soul of an individual as they die so it can't travel to the afterlife, and forcing it back into the lifeless body. A form of punishment, the soul is trapped to feel and see and listen as their body decays. They can't move, but for some reason, it does upset the blood and keeps it from settling or drying out until the body has decayed enough that it leaks out. The cells have all long since died by then, but blood is blood, whether it's blue, red, or black."

"People _do_ that?" Robin asked in horror.

"That and worse. In ancient practices, the priest or priestess would often find a Necromancer – if they had no such control over the truly darker magics themselves – and bring the body back to serve the community until it's decayed beyond use. Now days, the practice is considered too macabre and eye-catching to use."

"It never pays to dabble in _any_ form of dark magic." Raven told her leader.

"I beg to differ. I think it pays _very_ well." William smiled. "My soul, for a life of luxury? It's a small price to pay."

"You won't be saying that when you pass on." Raven told him, before asking, "The second explanation?"

"Good, old fashioned Blood Magic, of course, but you had guessed that, or you wouldn't have come here."

Raven nodded unhappily. "So, they were killed by a spell based on Blood Magic?"

"Well… not necessarily." William smiled, and Raven frowned.

"You know something. What?"

"I'd talk to Miss Shipman if I were you. I know you've met her before. She… might be able to explain it better than me."

Raven's frown darkened into a glare. "Cut the crap, William. If a spell didn't kill them, what did?"

"You have your father's temper."

"What has Cara told you?" She asked slowly, but with force.

"Why don't you take one of my books on Blood Magic?" William got to his feet and hastily moved towards one of the bookshelves. "You can keep it. A gift between old friends. You might find it useful."

"We aren't friends."

"I'd still recommend you see Miss Shipman." He said as he ran his fingers across the spines of the books, reading their titles.

"You know what it is, so why don't you just tell me?"

"Ah. Here it is." Pulling the book from the shelf, he walked back over to the sofas. "I would tell you, but if it got out that it was me… well, you know how it is."

"You're afraid of this murderer?" Raven asked sceptically.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't like him after my hide." He handed Raven the book. Bound in leather, it looked old and well read, the spine damaged from years of use. "No, it's someone else I'm worried about. But I'm sure Miss Shipman will answer that for you. Now, do take care of the book. It's fairly old, and one of my favourites. The author really did know what he was writing about. And while I think about it, I acquired another book you might be interested in. It's-"

"The only thing I'm interested in at the moment is stopping the murderer." Raven interrupted, getting to her feet, Robin copying her.

"Yes. Well, do be careful Raven. I would miss our little talks."

Raven didn't reply, the obsidian energy surrounding the two titans for a moment before it cleared, letting them see the common room of Titans Tower.

"Raven _Roth_?" Robin asked.

"Roth is my mother's last name." She shrugged, staring at the book in her hands.

"William practices Blood Magic, doesn't he?"

"Not as often as he used to, thanks to our agreement."

"And this 'Miss Shipman'?"

"Another acquaintance of mine." She answered.

"Well, at least we know it's definitely related to _some_ kind of Blood Magic." Robin muttered. "It's a start. So are we going to see this woman he mentioned?"

"I suppose." Raven nodded. "Though it might not be for a day or two. She doesn't always answer her phone. I'll read this in the meantime; see if it is helpful or not."


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay so three days ago I decided to get my ass in gear and watch The Walking Dead. I reached season three and learnt about Michonne. I think I found a new fictional character to obsess about haha. Raven and Jinx'll forgive me xD **

* * *

**Reviews:**

**borvaintavers86:** I return! After months of being away the Eternal Lurker has emerged once more! Can I just say how sad it was to come back and see that almost all of your stories had Discontinued in the title. Luckily, I soon found out you plan on restarting them which is good! YAY!  
Now then to the actual chapter. I liked it, a good chapter that wasn't in the original and that added some flair and mystery to the story while providing a bit of a glimpse into a side of Raven we don't normally see. Poor Raven, she is going to be in SO much trouble once she see's Jinx again. I mean, she just told Raven that it doesn't matter what she's doing. She needs to give her girlfriend a proper goodbye and she once again blew her off. Tsk tsk. I look forward to finding out what happens next! Keep up the good work.  
That is all.

_Hello there. Yes it is sad, but hopefully it should mean everything is coming back better than before! Glad you liked it. My main aim is trying to flesh out the storyline and the chapters more than they were in the original. Glad to hear it's working._

**nada129: **Some of ravens sources of information great work I thought robin was gonna have kittens. The antibiotics your taking can make you fill sick I've had to take to many to count to no

_Ahah and there's still more of them to come. Glad you like it though! Ah. There we go then._

**Discb: **For a blood magic user he seemed really nice. Granted that's probably why you  
don't notice the knife in your back at first.

_Ahah who said evil guys can't be polite? :P _

**Dak Hamee: **... I would've had Robin bet him up, come on raven, I'm just reading about the  
guy and know u should've had Robin beat him up

_Hmm, perhaps but if Raven's weary of him, I think they all should be. Blood magic is nasty stuff._

**Deathnoteuser: **Love the Lion King. One of the few Disney movies that wasn't made by butchering fairy tales and softening them up for child consumption.  
"She wasn't a natural blonde/Her roots are blonde" yeah... Haha, even Cyborg is noticing that the victims have Raven's basic appearance. If even Beast Boy notices that before Raven does, a certain bad luck charm might have to smack some sense into her (she might be the only one to survive after). Very nice, this is starting to take a turn from the original *grins broadly* can't wait for your next update.

_Ahah ditto. And you're right there! Ahah xD I'd like to see that! But your right (come on Rae, stop living in denial!) Glad you're enjoying!_

**Spikesagitta: **That William guy sure is slimy. No wonder Raven's mom ran away. Not that what she ran into was any better...

_Hmm, not sure what you quite mean by that comment, but okay. _

**Stormplains: **You are updating quite speedily. I will have to stay on my toes. Now the plot is taking more and more deliciously interesting turns. I wish to know everything!  
Keep writing strong.

_*sigh* you jinxed it :P Nah, this chapter took me a while to write. Glad you're ejoying (and that I'm keeping you interested!)_

**Tenstar12:** Great story. I read the first one and I can see some parts in the first few chapters where you copied them over word for word and edited them. I really like how you have fleshed out the story and described scenes that in the original were only mentioned with a few words if not merely assumed to have happened with no mention beyond a foreshadowing "I should do this..."  
An example of this would be the relationship between Jinx and Raven and how it was clearly stated that it was started as a plot by Jinx and then, almost out of nowhere although I can honestly say it was probably understood that it was happening or at least going to happen, Jinx openly admits to caring for her and no longer cares about the plan.  
I can understand your pain about your earlier work being cringe-worthy. I feel much the same about my own and when friends find out about what I written I always add on the disclaimer that I think it sucks just so they have less ground to stand on when they come back after reading it to poke fun at me. Though honestly I don't think yours was too bad apart from the random detail/scene skipping I mentioned above and the short-ish chapters.  
In any case, I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this refurb and can't wait to see how you are going to modify things next.  
Tenstar12

_Glad you're enjoying it. Yeah, early on apart from it's shortness and awful quality I was fairly happy with how I'd set things up, and didn't feel it needed to be changed much. Later on however was a different matter, but hey, that's what I'm re-writing it for! Good to hear things fit together better in this one and thanks for the review! _

* * *

Raven couldn't ignore the large smile that lit up Jinx's face as the meta-human spotted the titan making her way down the sidewalk, and couldn't stop herself from smiling slightly in response. Raven had decided hanging out with the cotton-candy haired their was a good way to forget about shadows, bodies, and blood magic. Or would have been, if the same thoughts hadn't been plaguing Jinx.

"Raven! I am so glad you decided to turn up." Moving those last few steps to the empath, she wound her arms around the girl and pulled her in for a kiss, the greeting surprising Raven. Pulling back, though still keeping one of her arms around Raven, she tugged on the titan's currently black hair, and said, "I still prefer violet."

"So do I," She replied. "How are you?"

"Tired. Fed up… I can't close my eyes without seeing… _her._"

Raven sighed unhappily. "Jinx… I'm not sure what to say. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"So am I?"

"It helps if you think of the body as an _it_ and not a 'she'."

"Yeah, well that's kinda hard." She replied, before resting her head on the titan's shoulder. Raven stood awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to do, before wrapping her arms tightly around Jinx's waist in what she hoped was a comforting embrace. "I still can't stop thinking that he was targeting you. I mean, all the girls resemble you in some way." Hearing Raven's impatient sigh, she added quickly, "It's not that far fetched. I mean, your hair's black right now, aint it?"

Raven's arms stiffened. "I am _not_ being targeted!" She sighed again, before saying "You asked me out. What have you got planned?"

"Is this not botherin' you?" Jinx frowned, lifting her head of the empath's shoulder to look at her face.

"I can't afford to let it bother me. Besides, I've seen worse. Now, lets take your mind off it. What did you have planned?"

"Well lunch, first of all. I know a nice diner where the food's cheap _and _tasty." She stepped back and took hold of the empath's hand. "And then I've got something different in mind."

"And that is?"

"Nope. I'm not telling you until we're there." She started walking, pulling Raven along with her. "What did you tell Robin regarding my escape?" Intrigue leaked into her tired voice.

"That I was too occupied with the body, and you saw your chance and ran." Raven muttered uncomfortably. "I can't keep letting you go at-"

"I'm not expecting you to." Jinx interrupted with a smile. "You're the good guy, I'm the bad guy, its your job to arrest me, I know. I'm too professional to let relationships interfere with work." Her smile grew into a grin as Raven scowled.

"So what does that make me?"

"A big softy. Who'd have thought, the nightmare of a titan can't even bring herself to cuff me and hand me over to the big nasty cops and jail guards."

"Don't push it, or you'll be seeing your teammates sooner than you anticipated."

"Hah! You wouldn't." Jinx laughed, before coming to a dead stop, making Raven stop beside her, ignoring the muttered complaints from the people behind them. "Actually, not that I'm not focused on the dead girl, ah I mean body, you brushed me off again in the alleyway." Her eyes narrowed, and she poked Raven just below the collar bone. "Again."

"You know, it might be more convincing if I could actually _feel_ anger or… some negative emotion from you."

The meta-human's jaw dropped. "How… what do you mean, feel?" Worry flooded through her as she started to think Raven might have picked up on her scheme to tear the Titans apart through her.

"I'm an empath." Raven replied, before smiling. "Don't be so worried – it's not like I can read your thoughts. Well, technically I _am_ a telepath but I never use the ability."

"Good! Because the last thing I want to know is you've been… snoopin' around my head!"

"And I feel the same, hence why I don't use it unless the situation is dire."

"Yeah, well… good." She crossed her arms and pouted slightly. "Still, if you can feel what I'm feeling, that gives you a totally unfair advantage. It so cheating. I mean, it shouldn't be that easy."

"Would you like me to apologize?" The titan asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Shut up and start walking. I'm hungry." Jinx grumbled as she started walking again.

"If I made you feel uncomfortable, I am sorry."

"It's fine. You just 'ave to keep me updated on what you're feeling." The thief grinned as Raven stared at her uncomfortably. "It's only fair."

"Well, right now I am feeling incredibly uncomfortable." She muttered.

"Good. Now you know how I feel." Jinx replied happily, taking hold of the empath's hand again. "Any other nasty surprises I should be aware of?"

Raven didn't answer straight away, the silence between them becoming uncomfortable until Raven shook her head, the movement stiff and jerky. "No."

"You sure 'bout that?"

"Very."

"Mhmm. Anyway, I've thought of some more questions I wanted to ask. About that place you come from. Azpan?...Aza…"

"Azarath." Raven said. "Ask away, though I won't promise I'll answer all of your questions."

"What's it like?"

"'What's it like'?" Raven repeated with a frown.

"Yeah. What's Azarath like? Like compared to Jump?"

"Well… it's quiet. Nice… and there is definitely a lower crime rate. Only the city guards are permitted to carry weapons, and those who do break the peace are… magically altered, to make them more peaceful. It's not something I would wish upon anyone, but it means the Monastery has a fair few people to look after it. There is a currency in Azarath, but many live quite happily without ever having seen a coin. A lot of purchases are done through trade, and even if you have no skill, or nothing to trade, you can seek refuge in the Temple of Azar, who will feed you, clothe you, and usually teach you a trade in return for you tending to their farm land. Unless of course you're physically or mentally unable to do so. I suppose, being such a small dimension, they can afford to live as such."

"Seriously?" Jinx asked, and Raven nodded.

"Seriously."

"But how do people like, afford places to live and stuff?"

"To my knowledge, extremely little building happens in the city. Most people live in the houses their families built when Azarath was first inhabited. They are large enough to hold several generations, and families over there rarely exceed numbers of four. The majority grow up as an only child."

"You mean you didn't live in the city?"

"My mother was born in this dimension. In Gotham City, in fact. She had no house to inherit. We lived in the monastery."

"But your dad?"

"While he was… born in Azarath, he doesn't live there."

Jinx noticed the venom in her voice and frowned slightly. "I know you've already told me you don't have much to do with him, but… I mean, what did he do? It's obvious you hate him."

Raven scowled, trying to figure out how much she wanted to tell the thief, and whether she should even tell her anything. "Well… for starters… I was born from rape."

Jinx stared at her for a moment, unsure on how to reply, finally managing to say, "…but from the way you talk, it sounds like you know him. You mean the creep hung around after you were born? Why didn't your Mom get like, a restraining order or somethin'?"

Raven suddenly started laughing, a genuinely amused sound that took Jinx by surprise, the thief looking at her like she'd gone mad.

"What did I say?"

"Nothing. Just… the thought of someone handing my father a restraining order…" She chuckled. "Sadly, it's not as simple as that. I don't think the Azarathian court even knows what a restraining order is." She started laughing again.

"Okay, seriously, are you like ill or something? I don't think I've ever heard you laugh that enthusiastically before. In fact I don't think I've _ever_ heard you laugh before."

"My apologize. Your comment took me off guard."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're laughing an' all, it's just… weird. And totally unexpected." Jinx told her. "Whatever I said must have been hilarious. It's making me wish I got it."

"Hopefully you never will." Raven commented, the laughter gone as quick as it had appeared.

Jinx suddenly stopped and crossed in front of Raven to push open a door on their left, the empath almost crashing into her. "Sorry. I wasn't concentratin' on where we were." She held the door open and motioned for Raven to step inside the large, clean space, the tables dotted about in booths to give the illusion if privacy "An' how about _I _pay for once?"

"We are not using 'your' money." Raven hissed quietly. "No."

"Oh come on, you're got to let me pay for something sooner or later!" She whined. "It's actually starting to make me think I'm a bad girlfriend."

"I said, _no_,"

* * *

"So, how's the murder case coming along?"

Raven didn't answer at first, too busy studying the part of town Jinx had slowly led them into, the maze of old apartment blocks all run down and un-kept, ancient factories abandoned, chimneys black with soot and ash. "Hmm? Not good. If the shadow is the killer we're looking for, he's allusive as hell, and is leaving nothing on the bodies – not a thing – that might help us catch him. To say it's frustrating would be to understate the situation. Jinx? Exactly where are we going?"

"It's just a side trip before we go. Chill. I'm sorry to hear your case sucks, but I'm kinda glad the shadow dude aint hanging around all the time. I mean, you said you couldn't touch him for one thing. If he did pop up, how the hell do you expect to fight him? And secondly, every time he bloody shows up, you disappear! It's not good."

Raven rolled her eyes. "If you want someone with a stable timetable, dating a titan who's on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week probably wasn't your best move. Besides, we'll find some way to fight him. Eventually."

Jinx paused and quickly kissed the emapth, no more than a small peck, before she starting walking again, and small smile on her lips.

"What was that for?" Raven frowned.

"You admitted we're in a relationship without the use of sarcasm or arguing for the first time. It was… nice."

Raven's brow rose as she struggled to come up with a reply. "Well, that was unusually… affectionate."

She watched Jinx's eyes pull together in a frown as she stared at the sidewalk, and could feel confusion radiating off the girl to match her expression. "Is something… wrong?" Raven asked, a frown adorning her own face.

Jinx quickly shook her head. "No, everything's fine." She tried to offer the girl a reassuring smile. "More than fine. Guess it's been a while since anyone genuinely like, cared for me, you know? I mean, besides Mammoth. Giz doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone, but Mammoth watches out for me." She came to a stop and motioned towards the large rundown factory and it's missing front door. "After you."

Raven's eyes narrowed as she studied the building and then the thief, suddenly afraid her original guess of Jinx's intensions were true. "Why?"

"Don't worry. It isn't a trap. It's perfectly safe and we'll be like, ten minutes tops." She moved towards the door and gently pulled on Raven's hand. "Trust me?"

The empath's sudden turmoil was instant and overpowering. Jinx noticed the confused, worried and almost scared look in the girl's amethyst eyes and winced slightly. _'What are you doin' Jinx?_'

"I know I aint exactly given you much reason to over the years but…" Confusion filled her own eyes for a second, before saying, "I'm not gonna hurt you."

"You couldn't if you tried." Raven forced a smile, before slowly walking forward, following her to the back of the warehouse and into a storage room. She watched Jinx drag aside a large wooden crate, before reaching for the floor underneath. "Jinx, what on earth are you…" She trailed off as Jinx lifted her arm and a metal trapdoor seemed to materialise.

"Holographic covering. Pretty neat, huh? Of course it sucks when you're coming back from a night out an' you can't remember where the door is."

Raven's face fell as she realised where the meta-human had brought her. "Damn it Jinx! I can't be here! If Robin found out…. Withholding information about wanted criminals is-"

"We'll be ten minutes!" She tugged at the denim mini-skirt she was wearing and said, "What I have in mind isn't exactly skirt friendly." When Raven didn't move, she gave her a nudge forward. "You're already here now, so you might as well go in. Ten minutes. My teammates are in jail, so it's not like anyone's gonna see you here."

Raven frowned, cringing as she moved towards the trapdoor, not quite sure what was making her do it when she _knew_ it was such a bad idea. Slowly and stiffly she climbed down the ladder, a sense of excitement creeping through her with the rush of adrenaline, making her both nervous and giddy, and almost drowning out her doubt. She tried to squash those feelings down as she looked around her, moving away from the ladder. The corridor was wide enough that two people Mammoth's build could have walked through shoulder to shoulder, the floor tiled in dark charcoal while the walls were painted a bright yellow – a colour so often linked to the H.I.V.E Academy. Jinx climbed down a few rungs and pulled the trapdoor shut before stepping back off the ladder and falling the last few feet, the noise of her feet hitting the floor making Raven jump slightly.

"An eye-catching colour, I know." Jinx said, looking at the walls. "But what can I say? The place was built when we were still at the Academy, and we figured our 'funds' could go on something more useful than a few cans of paint."

"One misspoken word to Robin and you'll no longer have a base." Raven muttered. "Won't Mammoth and Gizmo be furious that you brought me here?"

"You're not gonna tell bird-brain, an' we both know it." Jinx smiled as she started walking, ignoring her second question. "Besides, it isn't that easy to get in if you don't switch off all the alarms."

"What alarms?" Raven frowned, trying to keep up with the thief's fast pace.

"Ones you obviously didn't notice me deactivate so I'm not telling you about." Jinx grinned. "You're right, after all. One slip up in front of your teammates and, well…"

At the end of the corridor, the walls opened up to reveal a large common room, filled with several computers and other devices that were obviously Gizmo's, four large black sofas, and an oversized TV. The walls of this room were still painted a blinding shade of yellow, although the charcoal tiles had been replaced by a tar black carpet. An open kitchen stood off to one side the breakfast bar separating the kitchen from the rest of the common room. Jinx walked through the large room without pause, heading for one of the three silver doors, each placed on a different wall.

"Why am I even doing this?" Raven asked herself out loud. "It's one thing letting you go at the scene of the crime, but if Robin knew I had even the tiniest piece of information on this place and didn't tell him…"

The door reacted to the thief's proximity and silently slid open, letting them pass into another yellow and black corridor. "Relax Rae. How are they gonna find out unless you tell 'em?" She paused, holding her hand out for Raven to take. "And something tells me you won't tell."

The empath watched the door slide close behind them and nodded, before taking the offered hand. "Hmm. The doors here look suspiciously like the ones back at Titan's tower. It's making me wonder how many files Gizmo lifted off the computer while you were in there that day."

Jinx grinned. "Our first time meeting you, and the only time we _seriously_ kicked your ass."

"Yes, well, if I don't tell my team, it because – and _only_ because – I am petrified Cyborg will notice how… similar the doors are here and insist on redesigning the entire Tower."

"Oh, and the fact you'd have to explain _how_ you 'found' our base has nothing to do with it?"

"I'm sure I could invent some explanation." Raven replied.

"You're used to lying to your teammates then?" The thief asked with a large smile.

She frowned a moment, before answering with, "I prefer to call them half truths. Besides, it isn't lying if people don't ask the right questions. Everyone has their secrets."

"Sounds like you have a lot." They approached another silver door, this one requiring a key-code before it would open. Jinx shielded the number pad from Raven's view with her body as she typed in the code. "You know, they seem to have quite a few differences with your teammates."

"They're my friends. That doesn't mean we have to have the same ideals, personalities, or that we need to know everything about each other. We all have our differences, our secrets."

The door slid open, and Jinx ushered the titan in. "This is my room. Probably one of the only rooms in the building that _doesn't_ contain yellow."

Raven smiled slightly. "Still contains a lot of black."

And it did; the walls were painted as dark as oblivion, matching the glossy black furniture that included a wardrobe, bedside tables, a desk and a chest of drawers. The bed frame was a mix of painted iron and light, dusty pink material, forming a headboard that could have passed for a bat's wing. The carpet contained slightly more grey than the material on the bed, giving it a muted look, especially after the brightness of the hallways.

"Like you can complain. My room has more colour than yours, unless you decided to change that."

"My room hasn't changed." Raven told her.

Jinx moved into the room, unbuttoning the waistband of her jean skirt and letting it drop to the carpet on her way to her wardrobe, only pausing to pick it up. Raven quickly adverted her eyes, her cheeks a deep shade of crimson. Her eyes finding Jinx's desk, she wandered over, inspecting the few items neatly placed on its surface. A book, old and tatty, a mixture of different pencils…

"You draw?" She asked as her eyes landed on a sketch book. She went to flip open the cover, the thief suddenly behind her, one arm reaching around the right of Raven's wait to hold the cover of the sketchbook down, while her left arm went round the other side of the empath's waist and snatched the book off the table, moving it behind her back as she took a step back.

"That's uh… top secret stuff. Nothing you'd be interested in."

Raven smiled, turning around so she could look at the meta human. "I'm not going to laugh. I can't draw to save my life. Not that I've ever really tried."

She noticed Jinx's cheeks were a slightly darker shade of pink as she stepped back and moved round the titan to slip the sketchpad inside one of the drawers. "Even so, I'd prefer it if you _didn't_ look."

She turned and had started to move back to the wardrobe when Raven used her telekinesis to slide open the drawer. Jinx heard the movement, and the smallest hexbolt Raven had ever seen the meta human produce hit the drawer, slamming it shut.

"Don't try me."

"You had hours to snoop around my room when you managed to kick us out of the tower."

"That's not relivant to now."

"You'd throw hexes around your own room?" Raven asked.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Jinx answered. "Wouldn't you rather look at me?" Raven's eyes followed the thief's hands as she motioned down her body, blushing again as she was reminded of the girl's state of undress. "I'm much more of a pretty picture than anything you'll find in there."

"Just get dressed." Raven muttered, looking away.

"Anyone would think you've never seen another girl before. Not like I've got anything you don't. Unless, you know, you're only half human, 'cause you never did tell me what your Dad is."

"And I probably never will." Raven replied, pausing before she added quietly, "My physique, however, is human. Ignoring my unnatural colouring."

"Well, that's good to know."

Raven quickly glanced back to see Jinx hadn't moved. Amethyst eyes met pink and she found it hard to look away again. "What happened to 'we'll be ten minutes tops'?"

"Well, it's not like I booked anything. We could always… take a rain check." She smiled, moving towards the empath.

"Or how about we don't. I wouldn't like to ruin anything you had planned." Watching Jinx, she felt the heat from her cheeks slowly spread through her body, and took an uncertain step back, almost tripping over her own feet.

"I wouldn't say it'd be _ruining_ my plans." Jinx shrugged, but let it go, turning and making her way back to the wardrobe. "More like improving them."

Raven watched her pull a pair of jeans out of the wardrobe and quickly step into them, tugging on the waistband before searching the wardrobe for a belt. "So are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" Raven asked as her eyes drifted back to the black desk behind her before searching the rest of the room. She tried to ignore the heat slowly burning inside her, hoping it would go away but it didn't.

"As useful having your teleportation powers to get us around would be… you said you had the day off, right?"

"So long as an emergency isn't called in." Raven nodded.

"Then it's not like we're short on time." Jinx shrugged, finding a studded leather belt and threading it through the belt-loops on her jeans. "So no."

"I may have the entire day off, but that doesn't mean I'm in the habit of spending it all away from the Tower." The empath frowned at Jinx's back. "Starfire's already noticed a change in my behaviour and guessed I was seeing someone outside the tower. I don't need the others to do the same."

Jinx didn't understand the sudden feeing of dread that washed through her. After all, it was perfect – if the titans discovered Raven's recent 'activities' without Jinx having to shove it in their faces there would be less questions asked, less doubt. Even so, it was with worry in her voice that she asked, "They know?"

"No! Do you think I'd be here if they did? Starfire didn't ask for a name. She didn't seem to care who I'm with, so long as I'm happy." Raven frowned slightly. "Of course, I doubt she'll still feel the same way if she found out it's you I'm dating."

The thief closed her wardrobe doors before moving towards Raven. She studied the empath with a slight frown, before saying, "Thanks for making me worry for nothing."

Raven sighed. "My point was, regardless of whether I'm given the day off or not, I cannot suddenly start spending all my time with you without the titans noticing a change in my behaviour."

"Have you thought about just tellin' them?" The girl asked, adding when Raven scowled at her, "Don't give me that look. You don't know how'd they react."

"Associating with criminals outside patrols, fights and questionings is against the rules Jinx. In other words, no making friends. I know exactly how they'd react, Jinx."

"You serious?"

Raven nodded as though it were obvious, before motioning towards the bedroom door. "You ready yet?"

"Almost." The meta human smiled, still moving towards the girl. She invaded Raven's personal space and leaned forward to gently kiss the titan before pulling back and asking, amused, "So you can frolic around in a leotard all day, but as soon as I strip down to essentially the same amount of clothing, you can hardly even look at me?"

"I don't frolic." Raven frowned, and Jinx laughed, her hands going to hold the empath's waist.

"The point I'm making is you're… extremely easy to embarrass. I mean it's pretty obvious you've never been with a girl before from some of our earlier conversations but-"

"I've… never been with _anyone_ before." She admitted quietly.

Jinx's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at the titan. "You serious?"

She shrugged uncomfortably.

"And here I was thinking you were just hung up over the part about me being a female and one of the bad guys."

"Well, there is that too."

Jinx grinned and shook her head. "Your least favourite place in town is a bunch of empty buildings, you don't have a favourite place, you're totally hung up about the fact you're dating a bad guy but that doesn't stop you from coming to see me _and_ you've never dated anyone before? You really are somethin' else, you know that?"

"I said 'been with' not 'dated." Raven muttered. "Of course, if that could be classed as dating…"

"Oh, so you_ have_. Okay, you're starting to seem slightly more like a normal person now."

The empath rolled her eyes, but allowed a small smile. "Do I look like a normal person to you?"

"So what happened to this date? Not your type?"

"He used me." Raven answered with a shrug.

"…And?"

"He won't be bothering anyone else, for many years to come." She said. "And let's leave it at that."

Jinx swallowed hard, before asking, "You ready to go?"

* * *

"You should have taken me shopping." Raven muttered as she looked up at the huge rides stood around them. "I hate shopping, but I'll go. There is no way, however, you are getting me on one of those. Ever."

"What? Is the big, bad titan afraid of a few meters of track?" Jinx teased.

"You've seen what my powers can do when my control slips!"

Laughing, she grabbed the empath's chin and turned her head so Raven was looking at her and not the rides. "Babe, I have a serious case of bad luck, and I've never broken a ride." She quickly kissed the titan and smiled. "We'll start with something easy. Like the water rapids. You don't leave the ground and there isn't much of a track for you to break."

Amethyst eyes narrowed into a glare. "If you're lying to me…"

"Would I lie to you, Rae?" She gave the empath her best innocent look before she started moving through the crowd.

Raven moved quickly to keep up with her, trying to ignore that every person they passed was one more person who might recognise her as she took hold of the thief's hand. "Yes, you would."

Jinx chuckled nervously. "Well I'm not lying about this. Promise. You'll enjoy it."

"Hmm. It has occurred to me, well, what if your teammates find out you let me into your base?" Her confusion was clear, and Jinx could understand why. If it weren't for her so called 'plan', dating the titan could seriously damage the relationship with her teammates, as well as with every other Jump City criminal. Just like Raven was in danger of losing her credibility with her fellow heroes if word got out about whom she was dating.

"They already know." She spoke quickly, as though it would make Raven take less notice of what she'd said, and just accept it.

Raven frowned. "They know? And didn't they have anything to say about it?"

Jinx chewed on her bottom lip as she considered how to answer. Her eyes searching around them, she found an unoccupied bench and dragged Raven over. She didn't sit down, but turned to face the empath, a slight frown on her face. Raven could feel waves of confusion and uncertainty pouring off her, and donned a frown to match the thief's.

"Jinx, what's wrong?"

"Promise you'll hear me out without interrupting?"

Raven slowly nodded, and Jinx smiled nervously.

"They guys knew I was gonna ask you out before that fight where I kissed you. See, I kinda had this idea…" Seeing the stony, emotional mask Jinx was so used to see the empath wearing slip onto her face, she began to speak faster, her words almost merging together. "The idea was that we could maybe pull you guys apart if just maybe I could get you interested in me then set you up so they found out but it's a stupid idea, and recently I've been having some doubts and I'm not sure I could do it anymore. Not sure I _want _to." Finished, Jinx watched her with an apologetic eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment, blank eyes meeting pleading ones, when the wooden bench beside them suddenly snapped in the middle, making Jinx jump and drawing attention from those nearest to them. For once Raven didn't seem to care as her crushing feelings of betrayal slowly morphed into a burning wave of anger.

"Fuck you, Jinx." Raven snapped before she spun around and marched back the way they'd come, towards the exit.

After recovering from the initial shock of hearing the empath swear, she started moving after her, almost running as she rushed to catch up. "Damn it Rae! Please, can't we just- MOVE!" She pushed an overweight man to the side as he walked in-between her and Raven, oblivious to the looks he – and some of the people nearby – gave her. "Didn't you hear me? I don't _want_ to do it anymore! Can't you just stop so we can talk this out?"

Raven chose not to answer as she weaved her way through the crowd almost effortlessly, while Jinx seemed to run into just about everyone she passed. "I wouldn't have told you if I knew you'd storm off. Rae-"

The titan suddenly stopped, and the thief ran straight into her, almost tripping and falling. Raven didn't move to help her, her eyes cold as she said, no longer caring who was listening, "This may be all fun and games to you, but while I've been wasting time I _don't_ have with you, I could have been out trying to catch the serial killer that has abducted at least six women, possibly more since the last body wasn't on our list of missing people, and is slowly leaving them one by one for us to find. So you keep playing your little games, and tell the whole damn world I was stupid enough to fall for it if you want, but I am _done_ with you."

Raven started moving for the exit again, and Jinx followed her out of the amusement park and down the road, staying no more than a few feet behind her. Realising Jinx wasn't going to leave she started to gather her soul self around her when the meta human suddenly ran in front and waved her hand at her, a yellow and black communicator in her grip.

"You can leave now, but you'll be missin' something kinda important."

Seeing her Titan's Communicator in Jinx's grip, her eyes narrowed into a glare as she let the dark energy dissipate.

"That always works." Jinx smiled slightly.

"When did you take that?"

"When I ran into you just then. I always have a backup plan."

"Give it back."

Jinx shook her head. "No. Not until you've heard me out."

"I've already heard enough." Raven growled, holding out her hand for the communication device. "Now give. It. Back."

"You know, the whole intimidation thing might work on your friends, but I'm made of tougher stuff. You'll listen to what I have to say, then I'll give it you back." Jinx ignored the cold feeling that trickled down her spine as a reaction to the look she was being given, looking around before she pointed towards an alleyway off to the side. "Wanna do this away from the public eye?"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** For some reason, writing chapters/scenes involving Raven and Jinx isn't as fun as it was… I much prefer writing the action chapters at the moment. The second problem? How to write a detailed scene and still keep it… tasteful. Oh well. Hopefully this…. Change of interest doesn't affect the quality of these chapters too much.

**Reviews:**

**Discb: **Thank whatever gods jinxie believes in for quick fingers otherwise that could have ended much more different then it did.

_Ahah indeed! Good thinking Jinx!_

**Kcapp: **Wow this is great! Keep going! Keep Going! :D

_Glad you like it!_

**nada129: **Another awesome chapter from you and I hope you update soon cause I freaking love this story

_I tried to update as fast as I could! But that's nice to hear!_

**Mttmercado: **oh my FEELINGS! did not expect that, i am so happy for jinx kinda in a weird glad your not killing her rep way, OH i hope this is the truth!

_Ahah xD Good – as far as I'm concerned it's those small unexpected plot twists that make a good story! _

**Deathnoteuser: **Some minor spelling errors, but it didn't detract from how much I enjoyed this chapter. Dammit Raven! Stop being in denial! As for Jinx... are you sure you wanna do that somewhere people won't be able to see you die or mauled? Good luck for the bad luck charm. That'll turn out well *rolls eyes*.

_As usual :P Glad they weren't too bad though. Ahah yeah Rae. It's gonna get you into serious trouble. I wouldn't if I were Jinx. _

**Techpriest of Tzeentch: **Dancing with Death there, aren't you Jinx?

_She is pushing it._

**Spikesagitta: **Ah. Smart. Telling Raven now would be better if she found out herself. I was just waiting for the blowup. But I guess crisis averted at the moment.

_Ahah yeah – if Raven found out herself it would mean she's been talking to Giz or Mammoth, or Jinx went ahead with the plan._

**Dawsen:** Oh snap! Only a bench? After malchior I thought maybe a car or suv. It's all about controll.

_It is all about control, and Rae has plenty of that. Most of the time. I probably would have exploded a few people in her place, personally xD_

**Dak Hamee: **And the inevitable talk, jinx Hun there were a million better places to start  
talk... At the top of the Ferris wheel like terra did, much harder to walk away or maybe after u got her in bed... Course then ur room would be ground zero but still horrible idea horrible horrible horrible

_Ahah the ferris wheel might not have survived it :'3 Maybe once you got her in bed. A happy demon halfling is probably much easier to deal with haha._

**Stormplains: **Sorry I *jinxed* (heheh, get it oh bad pun Stormplains I know) it. But this update came at a perfect time for me. I'm glad we got a relationship chapter to look at and Jinx! Why would you tell her that?! Why would you not think it would upset Raven?! Although very sly, grabbing her communicator. A thief as always.  
I did love the part of Raven telling Jinx to eff off. Jinx reaction was shock, which was funny because Raven's not one to swear much. Her being frozen was kinda like how my friends react when I cuss, it's funny. But I feel bad for Raven, first Malchior now Jinx, she can't seem to stop  
getting into these things.  
I didn't catch any typos this time so bueno! As well! I am excited for the next chapter! I won't jinx this next time. Keep writing strong.

_Ahah xD So you should be. Well, good. It had been a while since the last, hadn't it. And that thieving part of her might have just saved her from losing Rae for good! Ahah glad you found it funny. Yay! _

**FrenchHenry: **Oh that Jinx, she doesn't even know what kind of animal she just poked. I wonder where in all of this Jinx really changed her mind, did she give Raven the location of their base as some sort of sign of good faith? Course, spontaneous girl like her, doesn't seem to stick to plans well. Thanks and keep it up.

_Ahah she really doesn't. Hmm yes, Jinx doesn't really seem like the girl to stick with plans, and who knows. I mean, she probably doesn't even know when she really changed her mind about that plan of hers. _

**TyrionGreywind: **Ooooooh, Jinx is treading on very sharp glass right now. I wonder how it'll end? I'm glad Raven didn't cover her eyes the whole time she was in their base, I remember her reaction from the original. Though I must now how this particular encounter will go, so update!

_She is indeed. Ahah that's why I'm re-writing it. Some parts were really… suckish xD _

**YuriPrince: **Sorry I haven't posted a review for your awesome story but I've been without wifi for 3 weeks D: I've only been able to read by copy pasting in my iPod notes when we visit Starbucks. So anyway Awaome so far I'm loving it and Jinx wtf man you don't just lay it on Rae that you've been using her! I think I've read the origanal but for some reason I keep thinking it started in a coffee shop - café whatever - anyway keep up the good work!

_Ahah man that's dedication :P Glad you're enjoying it! Nope, the original didn't start in a coffee shop haha. _

**Elemental Hybrid: **Um, just a tip but it's coincidence, not consequence.

_Ahah yeah, that would have been a type. Oops xD_

* * *

Raven followed her into the alleyway, her feelings of anger and hurt growing with each step, until she felt like she was going to explode. Her emotions leaked out around her, and Jinx winced every time the empath's soul self attacked something around them. A trashcan, crumpled down to the size of a football, a drain-pipe splintering down the middle, a manhole cover shooting into the air and landing noisily next to the access tunnel that led to the sewers below. The thief kept it in mind as a potential escape route.

Figuring they had travelled far enough away from the main street to avoid being overheard, Jinx stopped and turned to face the titan. "Hell, I know how this sounds Rae, but do you _really_ think I would'a told you about this if I were still gonna go ahead with it?"

Raven didn't reply, and the thief sighed heavily.

"Well of course I wouldn't. I mean talk about a stupid move. I wouldn't tell you until I'd told everyone else first. Hell, I wouldn't tell you at all. I wouldn't need to, an' it would reduce the risk of you catching me and beating my ass to a pulp."

"Are you finished?" Raven asked, managing to sound nothing more than impatient as she held her hand out for her communicator, but Jinx heard something explode, assuming it was another innocent trashcan victim to the empath's powers.

"Raven, please. Just… can't you just chill for a moment and-"

"Chill? Stupidly, I trusted you Jinx. I…" Her face crumbled, and the concrete around her feet suddenly cracked, spreading out around her like a spider web. A wind picked up out of nowhere, and fresh panic surged through the meta human as she began to wish she'd just let the empath walk.

"Rae you need to calm down." Jinx urged, watching as dead leaves and bits of rubbish were carried into the air by the unnatural wind as it swirled around them faster and faster.

The titan stumbled backwards until she'd made her way over to one of the walls, too busy biting back tears as she leaned against the wall to listen to what Jinx was saying.

"I'm not gonna tell anyone, Raven please believe me. I'll make sure Giz or Mammoth don't say a word either." Noticing Raven wasn't listening, she grabbed the girl's shoulder in an attempt to get her attention and found herself airborn. Instinct and years of training kicked in and she tucked her head down, chin touching her chest, milliseconds before her back hit the wall opposite the empath, a sharp pain shooting down her spine as all the air was forced out of her lungs.

The sudden stop jerked her body, her head rocking back and smashing against the bricks, stars exploding behind her eyes as gravity pulled her down and she found the side of her face pressed against cold, damp concrete.

Her breath came in painful gasps as she fought the urge to throw up, the pain pulsating around her skull. She tried to move but the pain increased until she couldn't see anything, a moan slipping from her lips. Raven stood frozen with shock, panic, guilt, the new emotions cooling her anger until it was almost forgotten.

"Jinx… oh Azar!" She moved forward and dropped to her knees next to the villain, forgetting under the weight of her emotions that she could have easily healed Jinx. "I'm sorry. I didn't… I don't… that wasn't me, I wasn't… I lost control."

"I deserve it." Jinx managed to say. She tried to rise to her hands and knees but the pain was too much, making her head spin until she thought she would pass out. She muttered weakly, "I think you've given me a concussion." She smiled despite the situation, thinking, '_She ain't walked off yet. That's gotta count for something.'_ "Rae, I'm not tellin' anyone. Not your teammates, or the press, or… anyone. We can go back to just meetin' at night, I can make a better effort to not look like me, I'll try to convince the boys we'll do better picking targets outside the city." Jinx didn't understand why she was panicking, or why she'd list the will to carry out her plan for when she'd changed her mind, but she tried not to think about it as she said, "I'll even let you throw me again. Not that I could stop you right now. You really do hold back during fights, don't ya'?"

As Raven started to calm down and think again, she remembered she could heal people and gently placed her hand on Jinx's back.

"Shit! Rae that hurts! What are you…" She trailed off as she felt a warm feeling spread through her veins, erasing her pain, relaxing as it reached her head and the feelings of nausea vanished. "Damn."

With Jinx healed, Raven tried to recall her anger at the pink haired thief but couldn't, another apology escaping her lips instead of the accusation she'd intended. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"You lost control, I know. I heard you the first time." Jinx sat up. "And like I said, I deserve it. Although it's made me wonder, if you lose that much control when you're pissed off, how much control do you lose durin'… other things?"

Raven frowned at her a moment, and Jinx grinned. Catching on, the empath's frown morphed into a scowl. "You really think you're in a position to even _think_ about something like that?"

Jinx laughed slightly, shaking her head as she tried to smoother the sound with her hand. "No. I'm sorry."

"I should be so angry right now." Raven told her. "I should be furious, yelling at you, ignoring you… _something_." She frowned again. "Azar knows I'm try to be mad at you. But I can't."

"Believe me, I'm with you on this one. I mean I'm a bad guy for hell's sake – using you should be…" Jinx had looked away from the empath, only for her eyes to land on someone else.

"Should be..?" Raven asked, not picking up on the thief's fear straight away. "Jinx?" She followed the girl's gaze, instantly seeing the tall shadow of a man. "No…"

"You really are ignorant of your surroundings when you're distracted, you know. And I'd been told you could be unstable, but…" He laughed, "That's one hell of a temper you have." He walked forward, his footfalls silent.

Raven was aware of Jinx scooting backwards. She could feel the thief's fear but still felt nothing from the being in front of her. She got to her feet, her pride preventing her from retreating like Jinx. "What do you want?"

"You know, I've done so much planning. So much _work_, it never occurred to me their might be an easier way to do it. And you've presented her to me, practically gift wrapped."

Raven's eyes widened as Jinx called out from behind her, sounding almost pleased, "I _told_ you! But no, you wouldn't listen! And now he's after my ass too!"

"Touch her, and it'll be the last thing you do." Raven growled.

The shadow laughed again, and with his next step forward disappeared. Raven's eyes widened and her pulse shot up, her blood going cold as she spun round in time to see the creature reappear behind Jinx and lift her up by the back of her top. The pink hex-bolt she threw behind her travelled through the shadow and hit the wall behind him, cracking several bricks. She struggled, trying to break his grip, but it didn't seem to do anything but leave her breathless.

"Put her down. Now!" Raven tried to sound threatening as she moved towards them, but an edge of fear creeped into her voice.

"Okay."

Jinx let out a short, high pitched squeal as he threw her with as much force as Raven had, this time able to watch the bricks of the wall grow closer and closer. She slammed her eyes shut and started to move her hands in front of her to ward off the impact when she felt something cold wrap around her waist and pull her in the other direction, jerking the muscles in her neck.

The titan's rage was instant, the switch flicked the moment the Shadow's arm had tensed to throw Jinx. Her amethyst eyes bled to crimson while the obsidian vine that had saved Jinx – formed by an unconscious thought – moved her away from the Shadow, putting her down behind her while an identical vine attacked the being, jabbing his shoulder. Jinx's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards while a sense of triumph filled the demon halfling as she moved forward, a blade of dark energy forming and piercing his gut.

"Good. You can fight me." He said, a hand going to touch the blade of dark energy, it dissipating before he could grab it. Raven was sure that if he'd had a face, he would have been grinning like a lunatic. "I do enjoy a challenge."

Jinx watched, shocked, as one of the vine bleeding off Raven wrapped itself around the creature's neck and slammed him into a wall, the noise echoing down the alleyway. "He hit it… but Rae said…"

The empath ran forward and threw a punch at his featureless face. The Shadow, somehow, managed to move his head just enough for the fist to miss him, burying into the wall instead, making a whole and raising a cloud of dust into the air, more than alarming Jinx as she made a mental note to avoid getting on Raven's bad side.

"Touch her again, and I will tear you apart." Raven warned him, her voice sending chills down Jinx's spine. It wasn't Raven's voice. At least it wasn't the quiet, hoarse voice she was used to hearing. This voice seemed to echo without losing it's volume. It was deep, but high pitched, and smooth, yet jagged. "No one can defeat me. Not my father, and definitely not you."

He smirked. "You didn't defeat him Raven. Not really. But you know that, don't you? Now, go ahead and kill me, if you can. Because it's the only way you're going to stop me."

Jinx watched the exchange with wide, confused eyes. She knew Raven wouldn't kill anyone. For _any_ reason. But then she wasn't so sure this was the Raven she was used to dealing with. Raven didn't move, an internal battle going off between her two halves, taking up most of her concentration. Seeing she was already distracted, the Shadow spat, "Pathetic. Too damned to be Human. Too weak to be Demon. And you wonder why you don't fit in anywhere."

Raven's grip on his neck loosened slightly as one work in particular echoed around her skull. 'Demon'. She wanted to look behind her, to see Jinx's reaction. She had hesitated for too long, the creature taking the opportunity to kick her in the shin. Already distracted, she failed to protect herself and the attack hit. Her face creased in lines of pain and the obsidian vine holding him against the wall dissipated. He quickly loved behind the empath, out of her reach, and when Raven turned to face him, Jinx saw for the first time her crimson coloured eyes. Raven threw a dumpster at him with her dark energy and he didn't either bother dodging it, the bin passing straight through him. Whatever had been holding him together, making him solid, had stopped working. As he moved closer to Jinx, her anger flared back to it's full strength.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking I am joking. Touch her, and I will personally ensure you rot in the seventh circle of hell."

"Been there, done that." He said, but didn't move any closer to the thief. "I'd gladly go back just to see how you'd fair down there, though." He turned to face Jinx, who quickly stepped back and prepared to throw a hex-bolt. "Don't worry – you'll be seeing me again soon."

With a roar, Raven surged forward, ready to tear into him but he vanished, and Raven met nothing but air. A large crack spread up the wall to her left, damage caused but her frustration, and she closed her eyes, trying to stuff her emotions back in their cages. It was almost too silent for Jinx as she watched the empath, her mind frozen with shock though managing to constantly glance around her as she waited for the Shadow to make a reappearance.

"Well, Dr Light wasn't lying about the red eye trick you have." Jinx managed to say. Raven didn't react, her eyes still closed. The meta-human shook her head in disbelief. "Raven, why'd he use the term 'demon'?"

With a small sigh, Raven opened her eyes, the irises back to their usual amethyst hue. She refused to look at Jinx as she said, "You're a target. Simply because you were spending time with me." Her voice was her own again, soft and hoarse.

"Answer my question Rae."

"The damage is done now; we need to stop him from reaching you… but how?"

"Damn it, Raven!" Jinx yelled, making the titan jump. "Why did you eyes go red? Who exactly is your dad, because I really don't like the way the short exchange about him sounded, and why in _hell _ did he use the term demon?"

"I'd… rather discuss this elsewhere." Raven muttered when she realised Jinx wasn't going to drop it.

"I don't see why anywhere else is better than here. We had an argument, got our butts kicked, and no one heard us. I doubt they're going to overheard a low key conversation."

The titan sighed unhappily as their roles switched, and she became the one in the frying pan. "The red eyes come from my other half – the none human part. I have more than one form, and sometimes they can… overlap."

"Great. So who's your dad?"

"I don't need to tell you anything. I don't owe you anything." She scowled, suddenly defensive, an automatic reflex.

"You owe me for not listening when I first said that… thing was targeting you!" Jinx argued.

"Fine! He used the term demon because _that's what I am_. A halfling, crossbreed, a mutt. There. You have all the dirt on me you'll ever need, not go tell the whole world and see if I care." Raven snapped.

Jinx would have turned a shade paler had she not already been white. "You're… but… _demons are real?_" She shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"I'll set up some wards around your base, similar to what we have around Titan's Tower, then I'm going."

"No way. I mean, I have way too many question! Besides, haven't I gotten the point through to you that I'm _not_ going ahead with that stupid plan anymore? Who else knows you're half demon?"

"It wasn't a 'stupid' plan." Raven muttered. "It almost worked. Would have worked if you'd kept your mouth shut."

"Who else knows?" She asked again, ignoring her.

"My teammates, the Justice League, the inhabitants of Azarath…"

"Well… at least I kinda understand why you hate your dad so much now. Does that mean Angels are real? And am I goin' to hell when I die?"

"I've never seen an angel, and I hope I never will. I have enough to deal with without having to fight off one of the holy warriors. As for your soul?" Raven shrugged. "It won't be decided until your death. The Shadow didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No I'm fine. So there is a hell?"

Raven nodded.

"That means there's a heaven."

"There is something, but if it is Heaven…" Raven shrugged. "I can't say."

"Then how can you be so sure there's a hell?"

She looked away. "Because I am."

"So how come you're a superhero? I mean you of all people should be-"

"Can we finish this conversation elsewhere, after I've set up the wards around your base?" Raven interrupted. "It's my fault he's targeting you – though I don't know why he'd be after me anyway – the least I can do is set up some form of protection for you."

"I promise you Rae, I'm not telling anyone. If I give you your communicator back, promise you won't suddenly start ignoring me or somethin'?"

Raven watched her for a moment, before asking in a small voice. "You aren't just… using me?"

"You're an empath, aren't you? Answer the damn question for yourself. I couldn't if I tried. And I know, because I did try." Jinx smiled and passed her the black and yellow device. "Although I don't appreciate you not telling me your Dad's some… creature from hell until now."

* * *

Cup of tea in hand, the two girls sat in silence, bother deep in thought, before Raven eventually asked out loud. "Why is he targeting me? What does he get out of it? And what could he possibly know about my father?" Lines of worry creased her face.

"You should have asked him." Jinx answered, grinning when the empath scowled at her. "What? It was worth a shot – you don't know he wouldn't have answered."

"I was a little too busy threatening him to ask questions." Raven frowned.

"Yeah, about that. I thought you said you couldn't touch him. That's not what I saw."

"I know. That was… unexpected. And something I have to discuss with Cyborg."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing." Jinx leaned forward. "Raven, you have a way to fight him – to defeat him!"

The titan slowly shook her head. "He only seemed to solidify when I had hold of him while I was between forms."

"So?"

"So, it's too dangerous to repeat. Jinx, I have both human and demonic instincts, and they aren't welded together. My human part contains some demonic aspects, just as my demonic part contains some humane aspects, but my physical body altering like that means my demonic side is winning over my mind and body, and that must never happen. She… isn't exactly much of a team player."

Jinx thought about that for a moment, before smiling. "She didn't seem to have a problem with me."

"Think yourself lucky." Raven muttered, frowning. "I don't think you understand quite what it means."

"I know what it means. It means I'm dating a badass chick who has control issues, could easily tear me to shreds by accident, and belongs to the good guys. Seriously though, did you see how big a hole you _punched_ in that wall? Just never introduce me to your parents. I get the feelin' neither side would be impressed."

Raven smiled slightly before she put her mug down on the black coffee table in front of them. "I should get a start on these wards."

"How long is it gonna take you?"

The empath shrugged. "How big is the building in comparison to Titans Tower?"

"Aint much bigger. Maybe a story or two, and wider, probably double the lower grounds of your tower."

"The maybe just over an hour."

Jinx nodded. "And it'll keep this Shadow creep out?"

"It should keep out anything that tries to enter without a physical body. Of course it'll let me teleport in and out, being my magic."

"Thank you." Jinx smiled sincerely and started to lean forward to kiss Raven, before pausing and asking, "I am okay to kiss you, right? I mean, you're not still really mad at me or anything?"

"You're okay to kiss me." Raven smiled after a moment's thought. "But that doesn't mean you're totally forgiven." The kiss was soft, tender… a lingering touch that made Raven melt. Pulling back, she said, "It's only fair to warn you, if you change your mind later and decide to continue with your plan, I don't think you, or a large portion of Jump City, would survive it."

"Gosh! Some people use family to try and get you to stick around, others use illness. Only you would use the health of the City." The thief grinned. "I'm not gonna use you Rae. Not like that. Promise."

One quick kiss turned into five, and five turned into fifteen. Jinx managed to place her mug down without looking, her hand groping through the air a moment before she felt the bottom of the mug find the surface of the table, her hand then finding Raven's waist, slowly tugging the empath closer. Quick, careful kisses evolved into deeper yet playful caresses of lips, while Raven slowly tested her control, giving the feelings battering the back of her mind more breathing room, wanting to let go of them completely every time the warm embers of feeling she wasn't familiar with spread that little bit further through her body.

A quiet sigh left her lips as Jinx's hands slid down to Raven's lower back and pulled her that last inch closer, melding the lines of their bodies together. They both heard something shatter, but when the titan tried to pull back Jinx threaded her slim fingers through Raven's violet hair and grabbed a fistful, stopping her. Something low in the empath's stomach seemed to tighten and she gasped, the sound being eaten up by the kiss.

"Jinx." She managed to pull back enough to mumble. "Now probably isn't… the best time to be… testing my control. It's still… unstable."

Jinx caught the girl's lower lip between her teeth and softly tugged before letting go and tracing the curve of her lower lip with her tongue, something else smashing as Raven's control slipped that bit more. She gently coaxed Raven to part her lips, the initial feeling of Jinx's tongue brushing against hers surprising the empath, but as the meta-human slowly and softly introduced the girl to new territory Raven began to kiss back with growing urgency. Until something else smashed.

"Jinx-"

"Everything in here's stolen – it's not like we can't replace it." Jinx mumbled, bother her hands finding Raven's hips and pulling until the titan was on her lap. "At least it lets me know you're enjoying this."

She kissed the corner of Raven's lips, then her cheek, trailing kiss after kiss down to the empath's neck, able to feel Raven relax in her arms as she tilted her head to the side in order to expose more skin to Jinx's wandering kisses. As Raven felt the thief's teeth gently brush against the skin of her neck, the slow, growing feelings of bliss spreading through her started to change, and she froze as something hotter, darker, before to entwine with it, clouding her vision, her mind, her judgement. She quickly scooted back as she realised what it was, dumping herself onto the floor away from the meta-human.

Jinx leaned forward and frowned down at the empath. "What's wrong?"

"I told you, my control isn't…" She looked away as she blushed with embarrassment.

The thief grinned, before she spotted the pieces of a mug sat on the coffee table where her undamaged mug had been, laughing. "I put it there so it wouldn't get broken, not so you could attack it."

Raven's blush got darker. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Like I'd said, everything where is stolen or built by Gizmo. You're doing your side a favour."

"…Do you think you could go into another room or something so I can set up these wards. It shouldn't take me more than an hour." Raven muttered, avoiding looking at Jinx.

"That your way of telling me I'm a distraction?" She smiled. Raven nodded, and Jinx rose to her feet. "I'll be hiding in my room. Come and find me when you're done."

Raven watched her leave the room before she pushed her hair back away from her face with a shaky breath, trying to clear her thoughts. Raven looked around the room and tried to find the things she heard smash. The thin glass from two light bulbs glittered on the carpet, and she cleaned it up before dealing with the broken mug, making sure there was nothing she'd missed before she sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, closed her eyes, and began by muttering her mantra.


	17. Chapter 17

**Reviews:**

**Guest: **As always, wonderful. Again, some spelling errors, this time it kinda jarred me as I was reading. Well Raven, now you know what the shadow's after. If you'd break the fourth wall more and listened to us, you'd know that. Or you'd ignore us...

_I'm sorry to hear that :/ hopefully there will be less spelling errors in this chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it otherwise though._

**discb: **Jinx meeting the in-laws... God that could be a fic all on its own.  
Good stuff as always.

_Ahah that it could. Hmmm… do I see a future short story on the horizon for this series? :P_

**Elemental Hybrid: **I like it. I wasn't quite sure whether Raven would forgive Jinx or not. Keep up the great work.

_Neither was I, though I think the fact that Jinx didn't freak out too badly when Raven went all demonic helped her make her decision. _

**Spikesagitta: **Aww, I hope your not getting bored of the pairing! :( I would be a sad shipper if that happen!  
And Jinx is a wonderful kisser eh? ;)

_Not getting bored of the pairing just…. I'm too interested on the action side of the storyline, so that I get impatient when writing chapters that focus on Rae/Jinx lovey-dovey time haha. _

**Mttmercado: **i am happy? kinda well yes, happy but like flinched when jinx hit the wall and that creep creep was creeping home gurl jinx oh my heart is starting to feeeeeeeeel

_Yeah, Jinx hitting that wall wasn't exactly pretty. _

**nada129: **Damn go raven and jinx lol no sexytimes but what a awesome chapter keep up the hard work

_Ahah this is probably where I wander away from the original plot and what happened around this time in a way that people _won't_ like xD _

**Dak Hamee: **And shadow man gets owner! Hell yeah. Lol Jinx u best thank whatever god u pray to for raven forgiving u... But u can do that after celebrating with some sexy time XD lololol go Jinx!

_Yeah! Go Rae! That she can. I don't think it's just the cat eyes she has. I think she perhaps just used on one of her nine lives :P And celebrating with some sexy time is always a good way to celebrate xD_

**Stormplains:**Good chapter as always and ACK! Shadow man! That was frightening. The change in interest for you is playing out smoothly I thought. Only typos I found were their instead of there when the Shadow was talking and two instances if 'both' becoming 'bother' by accident in the last scene. I am super psyched for more!  
Keep writing strong.

_Glad you liked. And that's good to hear. I'm trying to make there as little typos as I can but hey, I'm only human. _

**Izuru: **Wow, this is so much better than the original, I'm not saying the original was that bad but this has a lot more detail and a deeper plot you could say. I also noticed a whole chapter was dedicated to the detail maybe even more than a chapter. But with all this new detail in one of my most favourite stories to ever be written on here, I'm reliving a dream with even more detail! I cannot wait for the chapter, but till then keep strong!

_Come on, no lies here now. You know the original was crap. I know it was more than crap. I'm glad you're enjoying the re-write though, and hope you continue to enjoy it! _

**YuriPrince: ***Snicker* haha jinx basically gots Rea around her finger when she gets to kissin'. Love When Rea sliped control to protect jinx. If the shadow man is in the Hive's base while Rea puts up the barriers- what would happen to him? Would he like teleport outside or get stuck in?

_Pretty much haha. No idea xD Hadn't even thought about it. He'd probably get stuck inside if he wasn't quick enough._

* * *

Robin trailed behind the empath unhappily as they wound their way through the crowd of people in the mall.

"Of all the places and times you decide to meet up, it an _hour_ after schools have closed for the day, on a Friday. In a _mall_. Did you not think there were better times – better places – that wouldn't leave you to waste magic on disguising yourself and wouldn't leave me and my identity in a… delicate situation?"

"Don't worry - you'll see in a minute why Cara decided to meet us here. Just remember, if anyone recognises her and asks, we're her cousins."

"I still don't get it. I mean anyone in this mall could listen in at some point, upset this… deal you with her."

"Not if we look like everyone else." Raven shook her head. "No one's going to really notice us, never mind make the effort to listen in to our conversations."

Robin had noticed the empath had made more of an effort to dress conservatively in blue jeans, a white top and black All Stars. With her skin tone, hair colour and chakra gem covered will illusion magic she looked like any other post-graduate. If anything it was Robin who drew attention with his dark sunglasses and steel-capped boots.

"So exactly who is she? I'm guessing she's a practitioner of some dark magic."

"You know I can't discuss that with you." Raven frowned. "And unlike William, I doubt Cara will share."

"I need to know what we're dealing with."

"You were trained by the world's greatest detective. You'll probably figure it out for yourself."

"Can you at least give me her full name?"

"She currently goes by the name of Cara Shipman."

"Currently?" Robin asked, but Raven didn't expand on her answer.

Reaching Starbucks, Raven took a seat at one of the outside tables, motioning for Robin to sit with her.

"Here?" He frowned, and she nodded. He sighed and shrugged, before saying, "Then I might as well get a coffee. You want a pot of tea?"

Raven considered it a moment and nodded. "Please."

As Robin left her and went inside, Raven kept her eyes on the crowd, looking for Cara's face among the crowd of teenagers and after-work shoppers. She felt the girl's unnatural energy before she saw her, and dressed in a school skirt and blazer, the tie around her neck at half mast with the top two buttons of her shirt undone, she looked like twenty-five percent of the people in the mall. She took the seat opposite the disguised titan, placing her backpack by her feet.

"You know, I was actually surprised when you called. It's been a while since out last little talk." Green eyes glanced around. "I thought you were bringing a friend?"

Raven watched as Cara pulled the elastic band from her blonde hair, running her fingers through it in an attempt to get rid of tangles that weren't there. "He's inside, getting coffee." She answered. "You're early."

"The bus was early." Cara smiled. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"We'll wait for Robin to join us. I didn't bring him here for nothing."

The girl's eyes narrowed, her face going from pretty to dangerous. "If I'm too late getting back, Cara's parents will begin to worry. It really does make me wish I'd chosen an older body sometimes, but I suppose it's all part of the experience."

"Well, you know the alternative."

"And you know it isn't an option for me. They think I'm perverse – I have no standing among the others. They treat me like a lesser being." She leaned back in her chair and smiled. "But I suppose that makes two of us."

"I have more standing than you."

"Only because of who your daddy is. Of course, if I'm perverse, you're a real freak. Born from a sack of meat…" She shook her head and grinned. "If it weren't for your daddy, you'd have become someone's pet or meal a long time ago."

Raven growled softly and leaned forward, whispering harshly, "Remember whose territory you're in. Talk as much as you want, because that's all it is. If it were true, we wouldn't be here, would we?"

"It's simply courtesy." Cara smiled, but it didn't quite reach those green eyes that wearily watched the empath. "It's rude to enter another's house and act as though you rule the roost, so to speak."

Her glaze slid off Raven and over her shoulder, spotting the young man who walked towards them carrying a tray laid with a mug, cup, tea pot, and a small jug.

"Here comes your friend. Good. We can get down to business. I have two essays that need writing. Sadly, homework doesn't do itself."

Robin was quick to notice the tension radiating between the two girls, and kept his eyes on the school girl as he placed the tray down and took a seat. "Cara, I presume?"

The girl smiled, her face pretty again with the absence of the cruel glint to her eyes. "Robin. It's a pleasure to meet you." She looked at Raven again, watching her make a cup of tea. "So, what did you want?"

"A man who goes by the name William Palmer pointed me in your direction."

The smile left her face once more. "Of course he did."

"The recent murders. In the first body, lack of bruising showed her blood didn't settle as it should have done." Raven spoke quietly, and Robin had to strain to hear her, though Cara seemed to have no such problem. "William confirmed it was something to do with Blood Magic, but not necessarily a spell. He said you'd know what caused it."

Robin stared at Cara as they waited for her reply, his eyes taking in her school uniform, then remembering how… civilised and polite William had been, and how he hadn't looked like a Blood Mage. He looked out at the crowd around them, wondering how many dangerous people were hiding behind society in Jump City.

"Bastard. Only interested in keeping his own ass safe. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out for yourself. Why does blood magic prevent the blood of the sacrifice from settling?" Cara asked, her voice even quieter, and Robin had to lean across the table to hear her.

Raven thought back to the book the Blood Mage had given her, before answering, "It keeps the cells of the blood alive via magic until the caster has used all the energy out of it because dead blood is no good. But it's a high talent, most people have to use whatever power they get from the sacrifice immediately, or waste it."

"The pit in the Church of Blood has been there for hundreds of years. It isn't sheer volume and temperature that keeps the blood warm and red. It's Sebastian." She told her.

"Sebastian?" Robin frowned. "Who?"

"Brother Blood." The empath answered, before telling Cara, "That doesn't answer my question."

"If I knew you were going to be asking these sort of questions, I would have arranged to meet with you somewhere else." The girl muttered. "Perhaps we could do this another time?"

"We're doing it now." Raven growled.

Cara sighed, but shrugged and asked, "Are you aware of how Trigon was given a human vessel in order to procreate with your mother?"

"Only that it involved quite a few human sacrifices and the Pit."

Cara laughed. "More than 'quite a few', Raven. The plan was hitched when the Church of Blood first contacted Trigon while fishing around for a demon that doesn't exist. They started to build their main church shortly after."

Raven's eyes widened. "But that was… a few centuries ago, at least!"

"Closer to a thousand years, I think. Between then and your conception, Trigon had taken two other brides, neither bearing him a child. In fact, I do believe one died during the coupling. Even bound in human flesh, we're a lot stronger than the meat suits."

Raven paled slightly, thinking of the hole she'd punched through the wall the day before, then thinking of Jinx. She's always accepted her emotion-based abilities would make it difficult for her to become emotionally or physically close to another person, but after seeing Robin and Starfire make it despite Starfire's inhuman strength, Raven had forgotten it wasn't just the powers she gained from her soul self that she had to worry about. Starfire had to feel specific emotions to trigger her strength. Raven didn't have to feel anything.

Cara smiled, noticing the change in Raven's expression. "You have someone in mind, Raven?"

Robin frowned when Raven didn't rise to tell her otherwise – something the empath would have usually done – but saved his questions for later, asking instead, "You said 'we'. You're a demon too?"

"Hopefully, that information gave you a idea on how many deaths it took to give Trigon a fully functional body created from scratch." Cara ignored Robin. "So, how many deaths do you think it would take to accumulate the energy to give your murderer his half formed body?"

Raven didn't answer, seeing in her mind Jinx hit the brick wall again and the damage she'd done with a shove she hadn't even meant to do. Robin waited a few seconds, before trying again. "How do you know what he looks like?"

She ignored that question too, answering her own instead. "A couple of years if they worked quickly. How long has it been since you ruined that first apocalypse?"

"But there hasn't been an influx in missing people or deaths." Robin told her, "_Anywhere_ in America within the past few years."

"What does Gotham have an abundance of?" Cara asked, finally acknowledging the leader of the titans, and he scowled at her.

"What does any of this have to do with Gotham?"

"It's the location of the main church." Raven muttered unhappily, before answering the girl. "Homeless people."

"Bingo."

"We've been looking for the completely wrong thing." Raven cringed. "Are you saying that whatever he is, he's a creation of the Church of Blood?"

"You're the one who said it, not me." Cara said, but she smiled.

"…How does that explain what we found with the first body?"

"Well, he is a walking body of energy created by Blood Magic Raven. Maybe that's causing it. Or maybe the bodies you've found, he's killed to extend the time his body remains 'solid', so to speak. Trigon never had more than twelve hours in his human shell. Long enough to mate and hold council with his followers, but that's all."

"Twelve hours? But we haven't been finding that many bodies." Robin frowned.

"Different bodies burn energy at different rates." Cara answered. She looked at Raven, noted the faraway look on her face, and stood. "I think I've given you more than enough information to work with, so I'll be leaving. If any of this gets back to me…"

When Raven didn't respond, Robin nodded. "We know. It won't."

"Make sure it doesn't." She smoothed out her skirt and picked up her back before leaving, almost instantly melting into the crowd.

Robin looked at the empath, then at the tea in her cup, hardly touched. "You okay?"

"How did I miss this?" She asked quietly. "I've been watching them so carefully. I should have-"

"Told me the main church was in Gotham. I could have helped – informed Batman and have him keep an eye on them too. New York is the other side of the country. It's humanely impossible to keep a close eye on something so far away."

"Exactly." She stood, stepping to one side and neatly sliding her chair under the table. "Come on – we should get back to the tower, tell the others what we've learnt."

As she walked past him, Robin stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever they're trying to achieve, we don't let them."

"It's not like we've been able to stop them so far." She muttered.

* * *

As they made their way from the garage to the common room, Robin stopped the empath, a light frown on his face. "Before we go any further, I want to clear up a few things."

Raven nodded. "That's understandable. She gave us quite a bit of information."

"Well, first of all – and don't lie – are you okay?"

Raven scowled at him. "There is a serial killer on the lose that isn't human, seemed to be targeting me for some reason, and was apparently created by the cult that worships my father. How do you think I'm doing?"

"We'll stop him." Robin told her.

"Was there something else you wished to mention, or did you simple want to ask stupid questions?"

"Cara. What is she? A Halfling?"

The empath frowned, thinking a moment before saying, "You didn't hear this from me. You worked it out yourself, okay? Cara Shipman was in a coma until four years ago after a bad car crash. She had been declared brain dead and they had been about to pull the plug to her life support when the Cara you met took possession of the body. I have her two options four years ago. To _be_ Cara, or to get out. In her defence, out of all my contacts she needs watching the least. She… enjoys playing the human."

Robin stared at her in disbelief, asking, "You know a demon had possessed a young girl and you did nothing about it?"

"She'd been declaired brain dead, Robin. She wasn't coming back. So long as Cara plays model daughter and citizen, I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is that a couple are unknowingly living with a demon they believe to be their daughter." Robin told her, before he sighed and let the topic drop. "What's done is done.

"Now, if that's sorted..?"

"You're seeing someone." Robin said, a statement, not a question.

Raven couldn't seem to decide if she should turn paler, or blush. She shook her head. "I am not having this conversation with you."

"What do you expect me to say? That you can't date?" Robin frowned. "I wish you had told me, then I wouldn't have had to worry so much during the last few weeks, because you have been disappearing for a few hours at a time quite a lot, and with the Shadow out there… Anyway, I saw your face when Cara talked about-"

"Oh no." She interrupted quickly and started walking. "I am _certainly_ not having this conversation with you."

"Star had worried about it too, you know." Robin said, and Raven hesitated, before stopping and saying,

"Just spare me the details."

"She said in order to access her alien strength, she has to be feeling strong confidence or something. I know you have more strength than you like to let on, a lot more. And I know what Cara said worried you. Why don't you… talk to Starfire about it?" Raven let out a breath of relief, happy Robin hadn't taken it upon himself to do anything more than mention the topic. "I mean, she hasn't crushed me yet."

Raven resisted the urge to bang her head against something, thinking she needed to listen to her own advice for once and not be like Beast Boy and jinx everything. "I really do not need the mental images that are coming with this conversation, and I am not talking about my personal life with either of you."

"Is he a civilian?" He asked, and Raven didn't answer. "Well, civilian or not, you realise you need to be able to talk to him about-"

"Not having is conversation." She started walking again. "Who do you think you are, my Mother?"

"I'm your leader and your friend. I'm trying to help."

"I don't need your help. Not with this. _Definitely_ not with this."

"Then tell me you'll speak with Star. If you're thinking about sharing a bed with someone-"

Raven groaned and tried to walk faster. "Why would you even _start_ this conversation? You've only just clicked on I'm seeing someone and you already feel the need to-"

"I want to know you're fully aware of the differences between-"

Raven stopped walking, and turned to face Robin. "Fully aware of everything that could ever go wrong? You're many years too late – the Monks made sure I knew _all_ about that a long time ago, so please, can you just drop this conversation?"

"I just don't want to see this go… badly for you." Robin frowned.

"Okay, thanks. Your concern is… remotely appreciated. Now, when are you going to turn back into the guy who is completely oblivious to people's feelings and way to manly to even _consider_ having a serious conversation about something like this?"

"You'll talk to Starfire?"

"Yes, if it'll shut you up."

"And in the future you'll let me know when you'll be leaving the tower t go out on a date?"

"Yes. Are we done?"

Robin nodded. "So, when do we get to meet him?"

"You're as bad as Starfire." Raven muttered in reply, hesitating before saying. "I'm not sure who 'he' is, but you'll be waiting a long time if that's what you're expecting."

She moved ahead of him, letting him frown to himself as she entered the common room. Looking up, they found everyone stood around the main computer, a grim, sedated feeling to the room, both Raven and Robin instantly picked up on it.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked as he moved to join them.

"You just missed a call from the police." Cyborg said as he turned to look at them. "Three more girls have been reported missing, and another body, the same as the rest, has been found." Raven and Robin's embarrassment from the conversation just had disappeared under the weight of the news, Cyborg saying, "Please tell me your 'meeting' with this girl has given us something we can use, or given us a lead, or something."

"We have a lead." Robin nodded. "The word is, our Shadow was created in Gotham. By the Church of Blood."

"But I thought… Raven I thought you said you had been observing them and they'd done nothing particularly suspicious in nature." Starfire frowned.

"I missed something." Raven told her.

"And you just believe this girl?" Beast Boy frowned. "What if she's just tryin' to stir things up?"

"When I was out yesterday, I ran into the shadow. He… mentioned my father."

"You ran into him yesterday?" Robin asked, "And you didn't think to tell me? Didn't think to call for backup?"

"I handled it." Raven shrugged. "My point is, you were right, and I refused to see it. Somehow he is targeting me in his own long winded way. And now we know why. At least, we have a link between him and me."

"So Trigon's trying to make a comeback then?" Cyborg asked unhappily.

The empath frowned. "I'm not sure. This seems a little long winded for my father, and I don't know what he'd gain from the creation of this creature. If it is the Church of Blood, I think this is a new game they're playing."

"But what game?" Robin frowned.

"It could be some… experiment." Raven shrugged. "Just because the Church of Blood created them, doesn't mean they sent him after me. He could have chosen to do this himself."

"Which would leave us without a motive." The leader of the titans muttered.

"I think me being half demon is motive enough. Or for the Church, the fact I reversed Trigon's rein on earth."

"Still, that doesn't help us narrow it down any more." Robin sighed. "So, three more girls missing? For how long?"

"One, a Mary Fellett, has been missing for over twenty-four hours. The other two were last seen no longer than six hours ago. It's only been reported because they match the profile. The police will call us if they find them alive, or dead. Fingers crossed the Shadow doesn't have them."

"And the body?"

"Found in a children's play park. Same as the rest – no outside trauma, a brunette… body drained."

Robin frowned at Raven. "Something Cara said, about Blood Magic sometimes keeping the blood used 'alive' via artificial means if it's going to be used over a period of time. Does that mean if we look at the first body again – the only one that still had blood – we'd see it acting normal, as it should have done in the first place?"

"In theory." Raven nodded slowly. "And it would confirm why he's been killing these girls."

"Shall we see if we can get another look at the first body?" Robin asked.

The empath nodded. "It would confirm what Cara told us. About the Church being involved. Let us know we're going in the right direction."

"And I think we need to do something in order to keep people safer. Too many people are going missing too quickly. We need to talk to the police and get a temporary curfew or something set into place. We have to be able to do something."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N****: I would like to apologise for taking so long to get this chapter out. Sorry...**

**Reviews:**

**Discb: **I hope Cara isn't just a onetime thing, she sounds way too lovely to be just a oneshot.

_Ahah I'll see if she makes another appearance then – if not in Friday 13th, then in one of its sequels. _

**Kidagarush: **Completely unexpected, having Jinx being into Raven! I enjoyed the twist, and your descriptions of the fight sequence was very, well, descriptive. :)  
Kida

_Glad you liked it! I hope you continue to enjoy it right up until the end._

**nada129: **I loved this chapter we get to meet another information source great work I look foreword to your next update

_Glad you did. Ah, hopefully I didn't take too long getting it out for you._

**Mttmercado: **oh god when cyborg said three bodies i cried NOO NOT JINX! not that it is any beter with the other girls going missing, but you know, jinx is ravens vboo

_Ahah no, not Jinx. Sorry to have alarmed you like that :P_

**Spikesagitta: **I doubt when Raven introduce Jinx to them as her girlfriend it would be voluntary :p And more background behind this shadow guy. Can I call him slender man? :D

_Dude shush do you even realise I'm part way through writing a Slender Man/Teen Titans one shot? (for some reason the idea of it makes me all exited. I am a HUGE fan of Slender Man and the many indie games the urban legend has produced.) _

**I'm a Lover not a Hater: **A demon playing a human girl teenager? Where are you getting these ideas, they're awesome! :P

_Ahah I don't know! You can thank Muse for it, I think._

**Dak Hamee: **Wow robin u press her about her date then go silent when she mentioned she held off the shadow yesterday... Ur slipping boss man lol

_Yus, he is totally focusing on the wrong line of questioning here. _

**Dawsen:** So, the shadow thing kills again. Robin was getting WAY to close to "girl talk" and, in my opinion, girl talk is dangerous and scary territory.

_It's very scary in my opinion too!_

**Raven Wolfbird: **Hey this is a really good story, keep up the good work. Though, one thing, do check your spellings and words again, there are sometimes quite a few mistakes though it doesn't detract from the story. That's it, update soon! Looking forward to seeing where you take this.

_Glad you like it. Believe it or not I do check my chapters before posting them! xD Due to being dyslexic, I'm afraid I could check them 100 times and still not pick up on all the mistakes, spell check or not – it's why when I'm feeling REALLY patient I use a Beta. _

**Deathnoteuser: **It took the Robin this long to find out about Raven's "special friend" and he's SUPPPOSED to be the Boy freaking Detective. Then again, if there's one thing Raven's good at, it's at keeping secrets. His concern is only remotely appreciated hmm? What Jinx was the one expressing concern? Oh wait, she did. And you ignored her. The Church of Blood is something that I wish that they'd expounded on in the cartoon, but I suppose that WAS a kid's show... If Raven only has better standing than Cara because of who her father is, shouldn't it count for more considering she was able to force him out of the dimension?

_Ahah Raven is good at keeping secrets. Hey, for 4 freaking years her team mates didn't even know when her birthday was. I wish they'd looked at the Church of Blood thurther too, but yeah, human sacrifices and worshiping demons isn't exactly TV kid friendly. It probably does, BUT this is Cara speaking, and god knows demons are full of crap. xD _

**YuriPrince: **Haha I was completely confused in the beggining till you mentioned robin- I thought it was Jinx and Rea. So now we hear more of the shadow man. I'm sure Rae was extremely uncomfortable having that convo. with Robin

_Sorry about that! I'm sure Rae was extremely uncomfortable with that conversation too!_

**Peacock-Lover: **Lol, Robin is so awkward.

_It's great, isn't it? xD_

**Stormplains: **Very interesting demon stuff, and Robin, shhhh. That's a very am ward conversation. I want to see how long it takes for the junior sects give to figure out 'he' is a 'she'. WHAHAHA. Can't wait for more! Keep writing strong.

_Good. Ahaha yeah Robin, SHHHH! I'm too curious about that :'D _

**Titan18Gamble: **Quite impressive. I haven't seen anything like this story before, which means you found one of the few rare pieces of originality left in this world. Combined with your good story telling, writing, and spell-check, this story is one of the best on site.

_You haven't? Oh. I'm more of a writer than a reader, so I don't really have ANY idea on what's out there on the site. *blushes* you're just saying that. Well I'm really pleased to hear you're enjoying it :) _

**Dyc:** And so the plot thickness.. ah poor raven having that talk with robbin as for chap..16 only Raven can get away showing there love by breaking stuff that there don't fly with my girlfriend

_Yeah – don't envy her with that one! Bad enough getting the sex talk from your parents. Imagine getting it from a friend! Ahah xD Yeah, never worked with any of my yet either_

* * *

"Good morning, and welcome to the Breakfast Show on Channel Six. I'm Melissa Allsworth,"

"And I'm Kevin Williams, bringing you today's biggest stories!"

"Our top story today focuses on the worst serial killer Jump City has ever seen, with the Teen Titans, and Police Commissioner Storr in the studio today to answer the questions everyone wants to know! Also this morning, global warning? Or Ice Age? Recent weather changes that have left everyone baffled will be discussed with Doctor Richard Moor from the Murdoc University, who has been studying the earth's weather changes over history."

The woman, Melissa Allsworth, turned slightly to look at her fellow reporter, a small yet handsome man, after waiting half a minute for the opening scene to be played. Kevin looked at the camera ahead of him, his expression serious as he said,

"In the past few weeks, a total of four women found dead, and an estimate of at least ten women missing off our streets. The police are working together with the Teen Titans to bring the killer to justice, and both have narrowed it down to a single suspect. But exactly who is this monster? And why hasn't he already been caught?"

There was a slight pause as two of the cameras swivelled round slightly to include the team of Superheroes and Commissioner Storr in the shot. It was Melissa who spoke this time, and she leaned forward slightly as she addressed them.

"Seven years now, you've protected Jump City from criminals, and yet this is the first serial killer you've dealt with. How does it compare to the previous challenges the five of you have faced?"

Robin answered after a moment's hesitation. "It's true serial killers aren't usually on our list. While I think it's difficult to compare completely different circumstances I think I can speak from the entire team when I say that for us, the hardest part of the case is the casualties and loss of lives. We've dealt with some challenging situations but never someone who's only aim seems to be to _kill_. And of course, the only reason the police have asked for our help on the case is because our suspect – and the killer's profile – isn't strictly human."

"You mean they're a meta human?" Kevin asked.

"We're not sure." Robin said slowly. "And we don't want to speculate. All we know is he has abilities that aren't within the human norm."

"Do we have a description for the public? Surely you've come across him by now."

The leader of the Titans looked at Raven, and she tried to hide her scowl as she looked at the reporter and answered, "He won't be mistaken for one of the crowd. He's a… _shadow_ to put it simply – has no facial features, no hair to give colour to… he's solid black, from head to toe like the shadow of someone stood in the path of a spotlight. He's tall, about six feet three, and fairly broad across the shoulders."

"Easy to see why you're so sure he isn't human." Melissa said.

"Hmm. He lacks a solid form, therefore leaves no DNA behind, which is why the police have been having so much trouble identifying him. It also makes him incredibly dangerous. He can travel through solid objects. That includes walls, floors…."

"If he has no solid form, how is he kidnapping the missing girls?" Kevin frowned.

"As we discovered during our first fight, we can't seem to touch him, but he can touch us." Robin answered. "Which is why he's so dangerous. Finding out _why_ this is, is our key to defeating him, and we've been making some good progress, but I can't stress how important it is that people don't approach anyone they suspect to be the killer; you're first move should be to contact the authorities immediately. If we get a lot of reports from on area, it might lead us to where he's keeping the missing girls."

"You believe there's a good chance they're still alive then?" Melissa asked.

"The first thirty-six hours are crucial, as with any kidnapping case, but yes, I hope – believe – they are."

"As do we all. Thank you." The woman smiled slightly before her gaze moved to Police Commissioner Storr. "Commissioner, Jump City doesn't really have a history of serial killers, does it?"

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't."

"What is the JCPD doing to help catch this murderer? Have any more regulations been implemented?"

"Well, to begin with, we've increased the amount of patrols – and the number of people on the patrols – around the areas where we believe the missing girls were taken from. It is also currently our busiest investigation, with more people working on the case than has ever been seen with any other investigation."

"And do you share the Teen Titans' confidence in finding these girls alive?" Kevin asked.

"We're doing our best, and like everyone else, we hope that we will."

"Our reporters say you met with the mayor earlier today." Melissa told him, brushing a few strand of her perfect blond hair away from her eyes. "Presumably it was to discuss the case of the serial killer?"

Commissioner Storr nodded. "We came to the agreement that while our suspect is on the loose, a curfew from 7pm to 6am for the minors and 9pm to 5am for adults might help keep Jump City residents safe. While it's still in discussion, we hope to see it put into work by the end of this week."

"Don't you think that's rather… radical?" Kevin frowned.

"I think some would say it isn't 'radical' enough. Due to our profiled suspect not being your average human, we need to implement measures outside the normal procedures until he's been caught. We're hoping that the curfew will prevent any more girls from being kidnapped."

Raven caught Robin's gaze and rose her brow sceptically, not sure how effective a curfew would be, or they exactly the police would manage to convince the people of Jump to follow it.

"Is there anything more you can tell us about your suspect? Officially, a trend in the girls he targets, perhaps?"

"He's been going after female brunettes – either natural _or_ from hair dye - within the ages of seventeen and twenty-three, with an average height of five feet seven, give or take. Most of the girls were known to be rather athletic, and high achievers. The fact that there's a trend there leads us to believe that he scopes out possible targets a while before kidnapping them. We urge anyone who may come within this description to avoid travelling alone at any point while within the city."

* * *

The police officer met them at the door, taking the time to quickly shake everyone's hand. "Thanks for coming out. I mean it could be nothing, but when I got the call…"

"No, thank you, officer…" Robin looked at the main pointedly, silently asking for his name.

"Richmond. Officer Richmond."

He nodded. "At the moment, any possible lead is a good one."

The man seemed comforted by that, and relaxed slightly as he started to move toward the Hospital's main doors, the titans following him. "My partner's inside with the doctor who called us. Apparently for the last week all the staff in the place have been under investigation due to missing stock, and despite the fact that things have _still _been disappearing within the last week, no-one's been caught, so the Doc decided to see if the police could help."

"Not seeing how this is linked to the serial killer." Beast Boy muttered, shrugging when Raven frowned at him.

"Apparently all the drugs that've been going missing can be – and are – used as sedatives." The cop quickly explained. "I saw most of the news report this morning, and when the possibility of live hostages was brought up, we it'd make sense right? If he's keeping them alive, he's probably druggin' them…" He trailed off, suddenly nervous again. "I know it's not a strong connection, but-"

"It's more than enough. Cyborg, find security and download all the footage from security cameras from the last week. Beast Boy, Starfire, _discreetly_ inform all staff we have reason to believe the suspected serial killer has been using this building and could still be here. Get a lockdown issued on all the wards. If any problems arise, tell them to contact security." Robin didn't been to tell Robin to fill them in.

"Should I call in the rest of my unit?" The officer asked, and Robin quickly shook his head.

"No. Raven, scout out the building – any storage rooms, basements, disused wards… It's a slim chance, but he could be hiding here."

"Here?" The empath frowned. "But-"

"It's a public place with a lot of daily traffic, I know, but I've found worse things hiding in hospitals, and you'd be surprised about how many rooms are hardly entered within a year. Ask the staff, they'll be able to show you such places." Robin told her and she nodded, quickly walking off. The leader of the titans turned to look at Officer Richmond, who was busy watching the titans leave and split off, carrying out their orders. "Officer, you're going to take me to your partner and this Doctor, then the two of you are going to leave the building."

The cop started walking brusquely through the hospital corridors but protested, "We can help somehow."

"No. I'm sorry Officer, but we don't like having anyone near potential meta, alien or otherwise threats in normal situations, never mind when, -as you'll have heard from this morning's interview – we can't touch him. You and your partner can help up by getting to safety."

"I became a police officer to help people. Not to be safe. My partner and I can watch the exits, or something."

Robin started to argue his point, before stopping and changing him mind. "You can help Cyborg in security."

The man grinned. "Better. We can do that."

"Now, where's this doctor and your partner?"

Officer Richmond came to a stop in front of the elevators. "Second floor." He frowned slightly as a thought occurred to him. "Shouldn't we shut down the elevators, in case-"

"If he's here, he can teleport. There isn't much point."

"Oh. Okay."

.

.

Cyborg didn't bother knocking as he barged through the door labelled security, suprising the two men sat inside the room, both of them jumping to their feet and grabbing for their guns as they turned to face the intruder, coming to a stop when they saw the titan, confused.

"What's up guys?" Cyborg asked cheerily as he quickly moved over and past them to their computer, sitting himself down and quickly finding his way through the system. "Sorry 'bout this, but it's kinda important I access the video footage from the security cameras."

"Cyborg, right?" One of the guards asked, approaching the titan wearily, while the other uncertainly trained his gun on the robotic teen. "What's the emergency?"

"Your friend, if he doesn't lower the gun." He replied without looking round. "We've got reasons to believe the killer and kidnapper of those girls _might_ be here somewhere." Seeing the man next to him straighten to attention, he added, "And you're not gonna do anything but sit here and help me run a quick check of all the footage from the past week. Got it? Cause we've got everythin' else under control."

.

.

After several minutes of wandering around and getting nowhere, Raven stopped a nurse passing by. She could feel the woman's confusion, probably at having a titan in the hospital. "How can I help?"

"I need to know the locations of any disused wards and storage rooms, boiler rooms…" Raven paused, before vaguely saying, "Anywhere staff or patients rarely go."

"Well I can't say much regarding boiler rooms – or storage. That's more of the technicians department." The woman muttered, Raven trying her best to remain patient with the woman as she watched her think. "The green ward in the burns unit closed about a year ago. And two children's wards closed the year before that…" Her face suddenly lit up as she exclaimed, "Of course! If you're looking for disused, there's the old ward that was used for cholera patients back in the early 1960s, shortly after the place was built. It's hardly been touched since apart. Became a bit of a storage room for broken or out of date instruments the hospital hasn't gotten around to or couldn't sell. Renovation plans have been floating around for years, but it's been on hold due to lack of funds. Personally, that place gives me the creeps. Why? Is something wrong?"

Raven regarded the nurse for a moment, trying to guess her possible reactions to the news of a serial killer being in the building, before she decided that was Beast Boy's and Starfire's problem, not hers. "No. Everything's fine. It's just a… exercise. A standard check. Thanks for your help."

The empath quickly walked off, leaving the puzzled nurse as she unhooked her communicator off her belt, simultaneously calling all four titans, waiting until they'd all answered before saying, "Three disused wards, and I've got the location of two of them. Cyborg, think you could find the third for me? It's an old ward, unchanged from the 1960s, from the sound of it. It was used during the cholera outbreak of the time. Could you-"

"Send you a map? On it."

"I'll check them out first before doing the storage rooms."

"Good." She heard Robin tell them. "I've got a list of medicines that have been going missing from stock – after we're done here Raven, you and I'll take a trip to the forensics lab and get Doctor Reinfields to check the bodys for traces of the drugs. They'd have probably shown up in the first tox-screen if they were there, but… maybe they were overlooked."

"Or it's a more recent venture." Cyborg offered. "The guy only had five girls to contend with in the beginning. Maybe he's only been usin' the drugs since addin' the new girls."

"Maybe. Beast Boy, Starfire, how's the informing going?"

"Most well. We have almost completed the 1st floor." Starfire answered enthusiastically.

"Cyborg?"

"Still transferring video files. I've got two guys from hospital security lendin' a hand."

"Check with them about other areas in the hospital that go unused, then relay it back to Raven." Robin ordered, and Cyborg replied with a cheesy "Aye Captain."

"Raven, keep moving. I'll catch up with you."

Taking it as a dismissal the empath shut her communicator Reaching the end of the corridor she came across a staircase and, on the wall, a map of the hospital's layout. Just what she needed. She quickly studied it, finding the burns unit and children's wards before heading up the stairs at a quick pace. Reaching the exit for the second floor, Raven moved to leave the stairwell, almost running straight into Robin. The leader of the titans quickly moved to the side, out of her way, before falling into step beside her.

"So, where are these wards?"

"One in the burns unit, and two are old children's wards." Raven answered. "I Thought I'd cover the burns unit first."

"Lead the way."

The room was spotless from floor to ceiling, clutter free… in fact pretty much free of everything – beds, curtains, desks, cupboards…

"Well I think it's safe to say nothing's here." Robin muttered, scanning up and down the large, white room. Next stop?"

"Children's unit. Apparently there are two disused wards there."

"And if it's as empty as this one?"

"We still have the mystery ward Cyborg's hopefully locating." Raven shrugged, seconds before her communicator started bleeping at her. She pulled it off her belt and opened it to find Cyborg, muttering, "Speaking of the devil…"

"Wouldn't that be you?" Her teammate grinned in reply. "So I found you that ward and I'm sending you it's co-ordinates now. And get ready to shower me with praise and thanks because I have found you the _ultimate_ place of creepy that I think you need to check out."

"Yeah?"

"Okay, so get this – when the building, the hospital that is, was built there was a crazy home next door."

"You mean an Institute?" Raven clarified.

"They decided it'd be cheaper for them to get rid of their own infirmary and just have their own ward at the hospital and – in a bid to decrease the amount of Looney runaways between buildings, they built an access tunnel between the places underground. Now obviously the Institute is long gone – decades before we were born the place was shut for improper practice or somethin' and the hospital brought the land before turning it into the car park where my baby currently sits waiting for us, but the access tunnel's still there. Guys in security say it was blocked up half way down the tunnel and the rest has just been sitting empty."

"Have you got-"

"The co-ordinates?" Cyborg interrupted with a smile. "Already sent. So, what do you say?"

"Thank you." Raven smiled every-so slightly.

"You're welcome. Robbie-boy with you yet?"

"Yes. Shall I put him on?"

"Nope. Just let 'im know those two cops made it here, and I _think_ I found evidence our friend's been here, but it's hard to tell – it's only in one frame – so until I get the files back to the computer at home, I won't know for sure."

Raven glanced at Robin who nodded, the empath verbalising it for Cyborg. "He knows."

"Good. Let me know of you guys find anything." Cyborg smiled, before the screen turned black for a moment before flashing with the word 'NEW FILE(S)' in light blue, telling her she'd received the two data files.

As she opened them, she muttered, "He could have told us which file was what."

Robin shrugged as he turned and began walking back out the ward, Raven following. "I think these two places hold more promise than a kid's ward, looking at the condition of this one. Agree?"

The empath nodded. "Two 'spooky' places that haven't been touched in years or wards that have only been closed for the last two years that don't even seem to home even dust… Of course, it would make a nice change, having a villain that wasn't so obvious."

"I've been thinking…"

"Nothing new there."

Robin ignored her. "Say the Church of Blood did create this monster. You told us shortly after our first encounter with him that you were certain he wasn't a demon. Then what is he? What did the church create a body for?"

"A human?" Raven shrugged. "That would be my first guess. More than likely he was a member of the Church during his life."

"But you said all living things have souls, and the shadow doesn't – that's how you knew he wasn't a demon."

She nodded. "True necromancy is impossible, Robin. There is no demon, angel, magician or spell that can bring the soul back to this plain of existence once it's passed on. It is, however, possible to pull a person's awareness back into the realm of the living, though it is incredibly painful and damaging for the soul. Whoever the shadow was, if the Church did create him, the soul they reached to was rotting in hell, and more likely than not it is still there, passing deeper into the circle he resides in with each new murder."

Robin frowned slightly. Even after seeing hell on earth during Trigon's take over, he'd never really decided on what came after death, and he had trouble imagining the sort of Hell Raven seemed convinced existed, even while part of him argued that if anyone knew, it would be her. "I think I like pretending this thing was never human to begin with." He looked at Raven's communicator. "So, have you chosen a map to follow?"

The empath nodded. "Ground floor, east side of the building."

"The access tunnel?" Robin asked, and Raven shrugged.

It turned out not to lead to the access tunnel, but to the old ward that had once been dedicated to Cholera patients and – after Robin managed to pick the locks on the doors into the ward – it proved to be full of dust, rusty old cots, a stack of stained mattresses, a few ancient pieces of medical equipment, and not much else.

"Because this looks totally clean and healthy." Both titans turned at the sound of Beast Boy's voice to find the changeling and Starfire entering the room behind them. "Why didn't they clean out all this junk years ago?"

"Epidemic. A scary word for the human race." Raven smiled slightly. "No doubt after the Cholera outbreak passed the ward was shut for cleaning and people just kept putting it off, no doubt due to irrational fears of becoming contaminated themselves even after all these years. Neither time nor science has any standing against irrational fear."

"Or maybe people were just put off by the amount of work cleaning this dump would mean… or because of how damn _creepy_ it looks." The Changeling argued. "I mean, this is creepier than your room Rae. All it needs is one of those old wheelchairs in the middle of the room that moves when you aren't lookin' at it, and BAM! You have a scene straight out a horror flick."

"You watch too much TV." Robin told the green teenaged with a smile as they left the room, making sure to close the door behind them. "Are all the staff in the hospital aware of the situation?"

"They are." Starfire nodded enthusiastically.

"Until the shift change, anyway. So, where we going?"

Raven looked at the second set of blueprints on her communicator. "The far end of this hallway."

"You really think the Shadow's holed up in this place?" Beast Boy frowned.

"It isn't a small amount of drugs missing from the stock." Robin told him. "It's a lot – easily enough to keep ten people subdued, and the hospital would be a handy place to hole up."

"And rather obvious, now the connection's been made, no?" Starfire insisted. "I'm sure we'll find something."

.

.

"I take it back. This place is much creepier." Beast Boy muttered, looking around the dimly lit space as he reached the bottom of the stairs that'd sat hidden behind a door labelled 'Staff Only'. "What is it?"

"What's left of an old access tunnel." Robin answered as he grabbed a small torch off his utility belt and shone it at the far corner hidden by shadow, only to find it extended out as a corridor.

"It smell like rot." Raven informed them quietly.

"Rats?" Beast Boy suggested.

"The last time we decided it was the rats, we found a body." Starfire reminded him, the changing grinning nervously as he replied,

"Okay then. Not rats. How about… Possums. Dead Possums." He followed Raven as she began moving down the corridor, his sudden laughter echoing off the walls as something caught his attention, pointing it out to his teammates as he told them, "I found the wheelchair that as missing from upstairs." He wandered over to where it had been left against the wall, the leather worn and metal rusty under the thick layer of dust that covered it. "Gotta say, it looks more at home down here. Hey, Rae, we could turn this area into your own personal hospital room. I mean, you'd fit right in with the creepy… _is that a gurney?_"

"Do you ever shut up?" Raven frowned. She came to a stop as she reached a rough brick wall that marked the end of the corridor.

"I really thought we'd find something." Robin muttered unhappily.

"We still might." Raven replied. "Beast Boy, knock the wall down."

"What?!" All three titans turned to look at the empath in shock.

"It's not a supporting wall, and I can definitely smell rot. If the tunnel continues past this point, we need to search it."

"We don't have a warrant." Robin frowned.

"Would you prefer I teleport us all behind the wall?"

"Raven… what would happen if say like, you did that but it was completely solid behind?" Beast Boy asked before Robin could reply, sounding genuinely interested.

The empath shrugged, the thought never having occurred to her. "I can see where I'm going when I teleport, you know. But say I wasn't paying attention, or slipped up and released us… we'd be dead, our bodies shredded and forced into tiny air-spaces of whatever building material I happened to dump us in. The brick wouldn't make room for us, if that's what you're asking."

There was a moment of silence, before the changeling declared, "my vote's for knocking down the wall. Just in case."

"This isn't a vote. _We don't have a warrant_." Robin repeated impatiently.

"Don't you wish to discover what is on the other side of this wall?" Starfire asked, siding with Raven and Beast Boy.

"Of course I do! But we need to go through the proper channels." He told them. "Or what example would that be setting? And the legal charges that could come from it…"

"What charges? We're not cops. We don't legally have any more authority than the average citizen of Jump City. In fact the only reason we aren't regularly charged for vandalism, disturbing the peace, disrupting crime investigations and damaging of individually owned and council owned properties is because the local law enforcement, the public and the local council acknowledge we've kept the city safe from serious threats on more than a few occasions."

"_And_ because they trust us to do things within the rules."

Starfire and Beast Boy watched wearily as Raven and Robin seemed to have a stare-off, the empath reminding her leader, "Right now, everything points to the people who worship my father being behind this 'shadow's' creation. I will not sit around and wait for him to come to us, especially when people are dying all because this creature has shown some sort of… interest in me."

"And if I knew you wouldn't just ignore my orders and attempt to solve this o your own, I would have made you sit out on the case due to emotional bias the moment the Church of Blood was mentioned. We'll get the warrant, Raven, but until then we have no choice but to wait."

"Wait for what? Another body? Another _five_?" She turned away from Robin, towards the wall before muttering, "I'll do it myself."

Beast Boy and Starfire quickly stepped away from the wall as the entire thing seemed to crumble, the air filling with chocking dust, the damp smell of decay hitting them moments later.

* * *

"Has anyone touched the crime scene?" The police Officer asked Robin.

"No." The boy wonder frowned irritably. "We know better than that."

"Nothing personal, Robin. Just standard procedure." The young man felt at a disadvantage, not knowing the cop's name, but didn't care enough to ask. "What about the wall? Security and updated plans of the hospital show it standing."

"We found it like this." Robin quickly – and smoothly – lied. "It's been a while since anyone from the hospital came down here, from what we could gather. For all we know, it's been like this since the series of Earthquakes that hit the city during Slade's occupation those years ago." After finding the body, Robin had waited until most of the dust in the air had settled before calling the cops, giving him enough time to yell at the empath, make sure his two other team members were okay, being it the first body they'd seen on this case, and call Cyborg and the guys in security to let them know what they'd found, Officer Richmond contacting the police for Robin shortly after.

The cop glanced at the wheelchair that had caught Beast Boy's attention when the titans had first entered the old tunnel. "Wouldn't surprise me."

Closing the small notepad and pocketing it, the man glanced back to where the Coroner from the local forensics lab – Doctor Reinfields – was studying the newest body. "'Obvious. But not obvious enough'. What do you think that's supposed to mean?"

"That he expected to search the hospital once we learnt about the missing sedatives. That he knows the city better than we previously thought. That he wants us to find him, I think. He's purposely giving us clues."

"Why'd he want to do that?" The cop frowned.

"No idea. Excuse me." He quickly moved away from the officer and towards Doctor Reinfeilds, pulling a neatly folded sheet of paper from a pouch on his belt. He waited patiently until the man had finished studying the body before grabbing his attention. "Doctor, do you have a moment?"

Straightening up, he removed the latex gloves he'd been wearing and acknowledged the hero with a smile. "Robin. Of course." The Doctor frowned as Robin passed him the sheet of paper. "What's this?"

"The reason we were here in the first place. Medicine has gone missing from the hospital stocks. More specifically, sedatives. One of the officers called in to help investigate the staff thought that perhaps it wasn't a staff member at all, and I suppose this-" he motioned at the body "- kinda proves it. If any of the drugs listed here appear in any toxicology reports we know how he's keeping 9, if not more, girls quiet."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then it'll be one more question we need answering." Robin answered unhappily, glancing at the body, the sentence the cop had just quoted at him roughly carved into the flesh of her exposed stomach, the words slightly distorted by the bloating of her body, caused by the inset of decay.

"The body's been sat here for a while. A few weeks, maybe. Down here it's damp, but it's cold, and it isn't exposed to the elements, so it'd degrade at a slower rate than the other bodies we found. I'm surprised there isn't any damage from vermin, though."

"The first reports of missing drugs came in a few weeks ago." Robin nodded. "Apparently he expected us to find out sooner than we did."

"Are your two friends going to be alright?" Reinfields asked, looking at where Beast Boy sat near the stairs, his head cradled between his knees, the empath knelt next to him, softly speaking to him while Starfire paced back and for beside them.

"They'll be fine. It's not the first time they've seen something like this. I think… the _severity_ of the case hadn't really hit them until now."

"Somethings need to be seen for your mind to fully accept it." The man nodded. "I'll run through the reports and get back to you about those drugs. The bodies didn't have much blood, but they had enough for a toxicology report to be done."

"One more thing, if possible. Could you check the blood from the first body again? If our theory is correct, it be behaving naturally again. In other words drying up."

A look of regret crossed the Doctor's face. "Robin, even during a murder investigation, we can only keep the body for so long. It was returned to the family for burial." When Robin covered his eyes with his hand – a movement of distress and frustration – the man offered, "If it's important for the investigation, we could try and get permission for the body, if buried, to be dug up."

"No." Robin shook his head. "No. We have other ways of getting an answer for our theory. That just would have been the easiest."

The man nodded, before asking. "Any idea on what he means?" Robin looked at him, a frown on his face, and the Doctor pointed towards the body and the words carved into it.

"Only that it's supposed to be some sort of clue as to where we're meant to find him."

"You'll figure it out." Reinfields smiled kindly, firmly squeezing the titan's shoulder. "I need to get the body to the lab. I'll call as soon as I've gone through the reports."

Although intended to be encouraging, the man's words lay heavy on Robin's shoulders as he left the Doctor to do his job and made his way towards his teammates. Raven turned to look at him, able to feel her leader approaching, silently asking him for help before turning her attention back on the changeling, who'd done nothing but stare at his feet for the past hour.

"Doctor Reinfields is going to contact us as soon as he's looked at the toxicology reports." Robin spoke up.

Starfire and Raven acknowledged him, the alien ceasing her pacing, while Raven asked, "When are we going to look at the first body again?"

"We're not. It's already been released to the family for burial. He didn't say when."

Raven exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment as she concentrated on remaining calm, pushing back the feelings of annoyance, anger, and flattening defeat. "Then we need to go to Gotham."

"What? Why?"  
"I think it's time we spoke with Brother Blood. He'll either own up and answer our questions, or he'll wish he had while he had the chance." Seeing the uncertainty on Robin's face, Raven added, "We won't need long. Three days at the most. I would go alone, but well, I don't trust the church at all, and they might be expecting me to come knocking. In which case they'll have something planned. I need someone to watch my back for me, because I'll need to keep all four eyes on Blood."

Robin's brow twitched into a frown at her uncharacteristic comment, while Starfire told her, "You do not have four eyes."

"Not right now." Raven nodded, before adopting an expression that let them know she didn't want to hear anything more on her comment, waiting for Robin to reply to her.

"Okay. I'll contact Batman when we get back to the tower and let him know we'll be coming to Gotham. Might as well have somewhere comfortable to sleep while we're there."

The empath started to protest, but changed her mind, thinking better of it. It was a long flight to Gotham, and there was no way she'd weaken herself by teleporting there before facing the followers of her father, and she knew she wouldn't sleep on the plane… "Thank you."

"Your… slip up has been sorted." Robin changed the subject, adopting a disappointed and angry tone of voice. "If you go against me like that again during this case, I will seriously consider your place in the investigation."

"I saved days and probably lives that would have otherwise been wasted." Raven frowned.

"You ignored orders, not to mention broke a law or two." He said the last quietly, aware of their company.

"The most I did was vandalise, and that's hardly-"

Raven's communicator rang, Robin, Raven and Starfire all startled by the noise.

"Is it Cyborg?" The boy wonder asked as Raven unclipped the device from her belt. She quickly glanced at the small screen on the front. Usually displaying a 'T', the letter 'J' currently blinked at her.

"No. It's a personal call. Mind if I answer it?"

"Go ahead." Robin nodded, and Raven moved away from the group and up the staircase as she flipped her communicator open, the others able to hear her say,

"Do you have any idea on how _bad_ your timing is?... No, nothing like that. We found another body…. No! Turn the news on if you're that interested, no doubt…"

Robin turned to Starfire as the empath moved out of their range of hearing. "Are you alright?"

"Physically I am fine, yes. But I am angry. Why have we not found him yet? Why must the 'obvious' be so hard to think of and not obvious at all?" Starfire's fists clenched shut with frustration. "Why can he not act like a warrior and face us? Why must he play these games that involve the murder of girls?"

"We'll get him Star. I promise." Robin told her, not sure what else to say.

"But when? How many more will he kill before then?"

"Maybe not that many?" The changeling spoke up, coming out of his silent stupor and lifting his head to look at Robin. "I mean to me it seems like he's getting bored or impatient. Why else would he leave that message, as unhelpful as it is? Not like he's made the effort before."

Robin nodded, the possibility having already occurred to him. "It would mean he wants us to come to him. But why?"

The empath appeared at the bottom of the stairs, a frown on her face that had vanished by the time she reached her teammates. Recovered from the initial shock of finding the body, Beast Boy managed to grin at her ask he asked in a teasing voice, "So who's your boyfriend?"

"My _what_?" Raven asked, turning to stare at the green teenager, who quickly paled.

"I-nothing. It was a joke." He quickly sputtered, offering the empath his best innocent smile and kitten eyes look. "But seriously, who was it if it wasn't Cy?"

"If I wanted you to know, I would have answered the call here." She looked at Robin. "So, what's next?"

"We find Cyborg and go back to the tower. I'll get in touch with Batman and – unless we get a call – you can have the rest of the day to yourselves."

"But we need to find the Shadow and-"

"Can you fly?" Robin interrupted the Tameranian's protests, already knowing the answer. When she didn't reply, he told her, "I'm not going to actively search the city for him while we're…" He tried to search for the right word, "_conflicted_. We'll start looking for the 'obvious' first thing tomorrow."

**A/N: I think we all know who 'J' is. Again, sorry for the long wait. This chapter did turn out longer than I realised – hopefully that somewhat makes up for it? ='3**


End file.
